Casey Wasserman to sell talent agency after links to Ghislaine Maxwell exposed in Epstein files | Jeffrey Epstein
Prominent Hollywood talent agent Casey Wasserman, whose clients include Chappell Roan, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar, is selling his business after his communications with Ghislaine Maxwell were revealed as part of the US justice department’s latest dump of investigative documents into Jeffrey Epstein.
Wasserman is the grandson of Lew Wasserman, one of Hollywood’s famous brokers. he said late Friday. was setting aside the talent and marketing agency that bears his name, noting the impact of “past personal mistakes” on the company and telling employees he felt the company had become a “distraction” to his business.
Details were first reported by the United States. Wall Street Magazine.
Wasserman said company president Mike Watts will oversee day-to-day business operations “and I will devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles in 2028 with an Olympic Games worthy of this remarkable city.”
Last week, the committee organizing the Olympic Games in Los Angeles voted unanimously to retain Wasserman as president, saying: “LA28 takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and our board is committed to thoroughly reviewing any concerns regarding the organization’s leadership.”
The committee said Wasserman “fully cooperated” with the review and found that Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell “did not extend beyond what had already been publicly disclosed.”
In a statement to the staff at the agencyWasserman said he was “very sorry that my personal mistakes in the past have caused you such inconvenience. It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the clients and partners we represent so strongly and care so deeply about.”
Wasserman was facing a customer revolt following the publication of salacious communications with Maxwell in 2003. In one, he told her: “I think about you all the time. So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
In response to the then-married man, Maxwell offered to give him a massage that “could drive a man crazy.” “Are you sure you can handle all this friction? Frankly, the thought leaves me a little breathless.”
In another, Maxwell asked if it would be foggy enough during an upcoming visit “so you can float naked on the beach.”
In recent days, a number of Wasserman’s clients, including Grammy winner Chappell Roan and U.S. women’s soccer star Abby Wambach, have cut ties with the agency. “No artist, agent, or employee should be expected to defend or ignore actions that are so deeply at odds with our own moral values,” Roan said in a statement.
He added that artists “deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity” and that his decision “reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that builds trust.”
After the emails were disclosed, Wasserman issued an apology, saying he regretted his correspondence with Maxwell, which “took place two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.” He stated: “I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.”
Other Wasserman clients who have left or spoken out from the agency include Dropkick Murphys, John Summit, Orville Peck, Weyes Blood, Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino and indie band Wednesday.
Wasserman joins a long parade of business people who have resigned or resigned because of their connections to Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, or Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for related crimes.
Among those stepping aside is Kathryn Ruemmler, chief lawyer at Goldman Sachs and former White House advisor to Barack Obama. Emails showed Ruemmler described Epstein as “big brother” and belittled his sex crimes.
Lawyer Brad Karp has stepped down as chairman of the powerful law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison after emails showed him thanking Epstein “for including me in an evening I will never forget.”
