Artists have begun cutting ties with the Wasserman talent agency after the chairman of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games and company CEO Casey Wasserman has been mentioned in the Epstein files.
Wasserman was found to have exchanged flirtatious emails with the convicted sex offender and Jeffery Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
At the time the emails were sent, Wasserman was married with a young family, according to The New York Times.
Among the emails from 2003, Maxwell offered Wasserman a massage that would “drive a man wild.” In another one, Wasserman told her, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
After the emails became public, Wasserman was met with pressure to leave the agency and to remove himself from the organizing committee. In a statement, he said, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.” He added, “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.”
While the files have not revealed Wasserman to have committed wrongdoing beyond infidelity, his appearance in the Epstein files has raised questions and caused discomfort among the artists who are represented by the Wasserman media group.
American singer Chappell Roan announced her leave on Feb. 10 in an Instagram story.
“As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman.” Roan said. “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.”
Irish-American punk band Dropkick Murphys based in Massachusetts also announced their leave to Instagram telling fans, “We love our agents. They are great partners. We signed with them years before they merged with Wasserman. It saddens us to part ways with them, but the namesake of the agency is in the Epstein files, so… we GONE.”
Some artists also called for Wasserman’s removal. Lili Trifilio, guitarist and vocalist of the rock band Beach Bunny, wrote on behalf of the band on Instagram: “We are demanding for Wasserman to remove himself and his name from the agency.”
Other known artists represented by Wasserman include Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator and Lorde, who currently remain silent regarding the commotion.
