Casey Wasserman to Sell Agency Amid Epstein Fallout
Casey Wasserman plans to sell his agency following scrutiny over his past associations with Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports.
Casey Wasserman is reportedly moving to sell his namesake agency, Wasserman, amidst growing controversy stemming from documents released in the Jeffrey Epstein case. The Wall Street Journal initially broke the story on Friday, Feb. 11.
The Journal reported that Wasserman formally announced the agency was up for sale and addressed staff in an internal memo, citing the ongoing controversy and recent departures of clients and executives.
In the memo, Wasserman stated: "At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway."
He further noted that Wasserman president Mike Watts would "assume day-to-day control of the business" while Wasserman focuses on his leadership role with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee.
Wasserman also apologized to employees, writing: "I’m 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 represent so vigorously and care so deeply about."
This decision follows increased scrutiny after recently unsealed Epstein-related documents revealed email exchanges between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell dating back to 2003. Wasserman has consistently stated that his interactions were limited and occurred before Maxwell’s criminal activities became public.
In Friday’s memo, he reiterated this position, stating that his contact "consisted of one humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending."
He added that he was "heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks."
The fallout has already impacted the representation business, with several music and sports clients either leaving or indicating plans to leave the agency. This includes high-profile music acts and athletes. Trade publications have reported internal pressure from agents considering buyouts or spin-offs to safeguard client relationships.
Artists such as Chappell Roan, Orville Peck, and Sylvan Esso have already departed the agency. Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino publicly stated via Instagram on Feb. 5, “I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”
On Jan. 31, following the release of the latest batch of files related to the Epstein case, Wasserman issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, apologizing for his involvement with Maxwell while denying any "personal or business relationship" with Epstein himself.
"I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,” Wasserman said. “I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
A Wasserman representative did not immediately respond to Billboard‘s request for comment.
Billboard VIP Pass
Related Articles
- Live Nation Scrubs Blog Post Defending Ticketmaster Amid DOJ Antitrust Battle
- Virgin Music Group Appoints Pieter van Rijn as COO After Downtown Music Acquisition
- Scott Borchetta Exits HYBE America, Takes Big Machine Records Name
Related Articles
Don't miss the beat! Listen to Foxsoundi News Radio. Click here to listen live!
Comments (0)
Login to comment