Several celebrities, including Chappell Roan and Orville Peck, have come forward to condemn and cut ties with Casey Wasserman, the founder and CEO of sports marketing and talent agency Wassermany Agency.
The blowback against Wasserman, a Democratic Party donor, Clinton Foundation trustee and chair of the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, began last week when his name came up in the latest release of documents related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
On Jan. 31, Wasserman stated that he “deeply regrets” being listed in the files. His name reportedly appears several times in salacious email conversations with Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislane Maxwell, who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for her participation in Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme that involved the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor girls.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
Since then, several artists have taken a stand against Wasserman by parting ways with his sports and entertainment agency. LA28 Olympics organizers are standing by his side, saying Wasserman should “should continue to lead” the org despite the growing outcry.
Check out the list of celebrities below.
Chappell Roan
Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan cut ties with the Wasserman agency on Monday.
“No artist, agent or employee should be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values,” the Grammy winner wrote on Instagram. “As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman,” Roan wrote in her statement.
Orville Peck
On Tuesday, country star Orville Peck parted ways with the talent agency.
“In light of the recent findings regarding Casey Wasserman, I have made the decision to no longer be represented by Wasserman talent agency,” Peck wrote on Instagram.
He continued: “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.”
Chelsea Cutler
On Tuesday, the singer, songwriter and producer announced she was splitting from the Wasserman Agency.
“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,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”
Her statement continued: “We are living through a pivotal moment in history where we are repeatedly expected to desensitize ourselves and to normalize things that are unequivocally wrong. I am deeply troubled by the idea of perpetuating this normalization and tolerance. 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. For that reason, as of today, I will no longer be represented by the Wasserman Agency.”
Wednesday
In an open letter posted to Instagram, the rock band Wednesday announced it would be dropping Wasserman’s agency as their representation.
“Given the circumstances we feel strongly that we need to begin the process of extracting ourselves from Wasserman,” they wrote. “Continuing to be represented by a company led by and named after Casey Wasserman goes against our values and cannot continue.”
Bethany Cosentino
On Feb. 6, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, a client of Wasserman Music, called for Wasserman to step down and rebrand his management company.
The rock frontwoman wrote an open letter Thursday, stating that regret was “not enough” from the entertainment and music mogul.
“Regret without accountability is just damage control,” Consentino wrote in her Instagram post.
“Artists are tired of swallowing scandals like this,” she added. “We are tired of watching harm minimized or brushed off as ‘a long time ago,’ while the impact of that harm is still very real, especially for women and survivors of sexual assault.”
Abby Wambach
Soccer player Abby Wambach called for Wasserman to resign on and shared that she would be cutting ties with his management firm.
“I have left the Wasserman Agency,” Wambach wrote Wednesday in an Instagram post. “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. I also need to say this: I’m grateful to my agent, who I’ve known for almost 20 years and trust. Casey should resign. He should leave, so more people like me don’t have to. I am unclear of my next steps. That’s OK with me, I just know where I can’t be.”
