Summary:
-
A wave of musicians and athletes leave Wasserman Agency after Casey Wasserman’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein come to light.
-
Wasserman’s flirtatious emails with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003 spark departures, including soccer legend Abby Wambach and singer Chappell Roan.
-
Departures continue as artists take a stand against Wasserman’s associations, urging accountability and leadership in the industry.
A wave of musicians and athletes have severed ties with the Wasserman Agency after its founder and CEO Casey Wasserman appeared in recently released Justice Department documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The Justice Department released more than 3 million pages of Epstein-related materials on Jan. 30, 2026, including emails, videos, and photographs as part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by President Donald Trump in November 2025. The release represents the final batch of documents from the DOJ’s investigation into Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in 2019 while facing federal sex-trafficking charges.
Wasserman’s name appears in documents showing he exchanged flirtatious emails with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on five counts of sex trafficking and abuse of minors for her role in helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse victims. She is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The emails between Wasserman and Maxwell include exchanges where Wasserman wrote, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?” Another message from Maxwell asked whether it would be foggy enough during an upcoming visit “so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”
View this post on Instagram
Records also show Wasserman accompanied former President Bill Clinton aboard Epstein’s jet for a Clinton Foundation humanitarian trip to Africa in 2002, along with actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wasserman has not been accused of any wrongdoing by authorities. In a Jan. 31 statement, he said, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” adding the exchanges occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Wasserman stated. He told the Los Angeles Times the 2002 Africa trip was the only time he met Epstein, adding, “Following that trip, where I never witnessed anything inappropriate, I did not speak to, see him or communicate with him ever again.”
Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan announced her departure Monday in an Instagram story: “As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman. I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well. No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”
She continued: “I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists and I refuse to passively stand by. Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity. This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
Soccer legend Abby Wambach, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, announced Wednesday she was leaving the agency. “I have left the Wasserman Agency,” she wrote on Instagram. “I read Casey Wasserman’s correspondences in the Epstein files. I know what I know, and I am following my gut and my values. I will not participate in any business arrangement under his leadership.”
Wambach added: “Casey should resign. He should leave, so more people like me don’t have to.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Singer-songwriter Chelsea Cutler wrote: “I, along with the rest of the world, recently learned of Casey Wasserman’s direct involvement with Ghislaine Maxwell and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. In a time where many of us feel particularly angry, helpless, and exhausted by our country’s climate, it simply feels incongruent with my values to not speak up or take action.”
She continued: “While I am grateful for my day-to-day team at the agency, I cannot in good conscience be a complicit participant and remain silent witnessing these unethical actions. It is our responsibility as artists to take any possible opportunity to exercise our personal agency and stand for what we believe in.”
Country artist Orville Peck stated: “In light of the recent findings regarding Casey Wasserman, I have made the decision to no longer be represented by Wasserman talent agency. I leave with a huge amount of compassion for the rest of the agents and staff at the agency, who are being left with a situation that impacts all of our work and livelihoods.”
Other artists announcing departures include indie rock band Wednesday, Beach Bunny, Sylvan Esso, Water From Your Eyes, Weyes Blood, Local Natives and Dropkick Murphys.
Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino published an open letter last week urging Wasserman to step down: “Ghislaine Maxwell is not a neutral character in a messy story — she is a convicted sex trafficker who helped facilitate the abuse of minors. I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”
Wasserman, grandson of entertainment mogul Lew Wasserman, leads a sports and talent agency representing high-profile clients including Adam Sandler, Brad Pitt, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Lorde. He also serves as chairman of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics organizing committee.
Several Los Angeles officials, including County Supervisor Janice Hahn and City Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Hugo Soto-Martinez, have called for Wasserman to step down from his Olympics role.
“This is about the message we are sending to Epstein survivors and to the world about our values — especially as we work to combat any sex trafficking associated with the Games,” Hahn told CNN.
The LA28 board’s executive committee announced Wednesday that Wasserman will remain as chairman after conducting a review. “We found Mr. Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented,” the committee stated. “The Executive Committee of the Board has determined that based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games.”
The International Olympic Committee has indicated it will not intervene in the matter.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the DOJ to release documents related to Epstein and Maxwell by Dec. 19, 2025. The department cited the volume of material and need to redact survivors’ identifying information as reasons for releasing files on a rolling basis.
The January release included more than 2,000 videos, 180,000 images and millions of pages of documents. The files reference numerous prominent figures in politics, entertainment and business, though inclusion in the documents does not indicate wrongdoing.
