Casey Wasserman to sell talent agency after links to Ghislaine Maxwell exposed in Epstein files | Jeffrey Epstein
Casey Wasserman, a major Hollywood talent agent whose clients include Chappell Roan, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Kendrick Lamar, is selling his company after communications with Ghislaine Maxwell were revealed in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent release of investigative documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein.
Wasserman, grandson of famed Hollywood dealmaker Lew Wasserman, said Friday night he was shelving his eponymous marketing and talent agency, citing the impact on the business of “past personal mistakes” and telling staff he felt they had “become a distraction” to their work.
The details were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Wasserman said a deputy, company president Mike Watts, will oversee day-to-day business operations “while I devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles a 2028 Olympic Games worthy of this exceptional city.”
Last week, the Los Angeles Olympic organizing committee voted unanimously to keep Wasserman as president, stating that “LA28 takes allegations of misconduct seriously and our board of directors is committed to fully reviewing any concerns related to the direction of the organization.”
The committee said Wasserman “fully cooperated” with the review and found that Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell “did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented.”
In a statement to agency staff, Wasserman said he was “deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort. It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the clients and partners we so vigorously represent and care about so deeply.”
Wasserman was facing a rebellion from his clients after the publication of suggestive communications with Maxwell in 2003. In one, he told her: “I think about you all the time. So what should I do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
In response to the then-married man, Maxwell offered to give him a massage that can “drive a man crazy.” “All this rubbing – are you sure you can handle it? Honestly, the thought leaves me a little out of breath.”
In another, Maxwell asked if there would be enough fog during a future visit “so you can float naked on the beach.”
In recent days, a number of Wasserman’s clients, including Grammy winner Chappell Roan and American women’s soccer star Abby Wambach, have severed ties with the agency. In a statement, Roan said: “No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or ignore actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values. »
Artists, she added, “deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity” and her decision “reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
After the emails were leaked, Wasserman apologized, saying he regretted his correspondence with Maxwell, “which took place more than two decades ago, long before his horrific crimes came to light.” He said: “I never had a personal or professional relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. »
Other Wasserman clients who have left the agency or spoken out include the Dropkick Murphys, John Summit, Orville Peck, Weyes Blood, Best Coast singer Bethany Cosentino and indie band Wednesday.
Wasserman joins a long parade of business figures who have resigned or resigned over their dealings with Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, or with Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for related offenses.
Among the figures who have withdrawn are Kathryn Ruemmler, the top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and former White House legal adviser to Barack Obama. The emails showed Ruemmler described Epstein as an “older brother” and downplayed his sex crimes.
Attorney Brad Karp resigned as chairman of the high-profile law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison after emails showed him thanking Epstein “for including me in an evening I will never forget.”
