Casey Wasserman, the sports and entertainment executive who founded and owns the Wasserman Group talent agency and serves as chair of the LA28 organizing committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has begun the process of selling his company after his name appeared in a recent US Department of Justice release tied to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
In a memo to staff dated Friday, February 13, Wasserman wrote that he had “become a distraction” to the company’s work and said the sale process was already underway. He added that longtime executive Mike Watts would assume day-to-day leadership while he continues focusing on his LA28 role.
The renewed scrutiny follows DOJ materials released on January 30 that included correspondence and flight records referencing Wasserman’s past interactions with Epstein and Maxwell.
According to reporting from CNN, the BBC, Pitchfork, and the Associated Press, the documents included 2003 email exchanges between Wasserman and Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence.
In one exchange reported by multiple outlets, 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 showed Maxwell asking whether it would be foggy enough during a beach visit that he could “float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”
These exchanges occurred years before Epstein’s and Maxwell’s criminal conduct became public. Epstein’s first major legal case surfaced in 2005. He pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges in 2008 and served 13 months in jail. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges and died by suicide while awaiting trial.
Wasserman has said the emails were sent “over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,” and that he “deeply regrets” the correspondence.
The documents also confirmed that Wasserman flew on Epstein’s private plane as part of a humanitarian trip to Africa connected to a Clinton Foundation delegation. Most outlets report the trip took place in 2002, though some references cite 2003. Wasserman has described it as his only direct interaction involving Epstein.
In a prior statement reported by the Associated Press, 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.”
The LA28 organizing committee later reviewed the matter and publicly stated that the Africa trip was Wasserman’s only flight on Epstein’s aircraft, that his interactions with Epstein did not extend beyond that instance, and that the emails with Maxwell were limited to those already made public. The board concluded that his relationship did not go further than what had been disclosed in the documents and confirmed he would remain chair of the 2028 Games.
None of the DOJ materials accuse Wasserman of criminal wrongdoing, and he has not been charged in connection with Epstein’s crimes. His appearance in the documents does not imply criminal liability.
Even so, the confirmed emails and flight records have triggered significant reputational fallout within the entertainment industry.
The impact was swift in the music world. Chappell Roan announced she was leaving the agency in a statement posted to Instagram, writing:
“No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”
Shortly afterward, Orville Peck confirmed he would also exit the Wasserman Group, stating:
“I know what I know and I am following my gut and values. I will not participate in any business arrangement under his leadership.”
Singer-songwriter Weyes Blood also cut ties with the agency in the days following the document release. While she did not issue a lengthy public statement, her departure was widely reported as part of a broader wave of artists distancing themselves from the firm. Additional exits and public distancing have included Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, members of the band Wednesday, and others within the indie and alternative community.
In his memo to staff announcing the sale, Wasserman wrote:
“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.”
Wasserman founded the agency in 2002, and it represents a wide roster spanning music, sports, and entertainment. The decision to sell marks one of the most significant shifts in the modern talent agency landscape. While there are no criminal allegations against him, the distinction between legal exposure and reputational consequence has become central to the public and industry response, and the ripple effects across artist representation are still unfolding.