The sports and entertainment executive Casey Wasserman is facing calls to step down from his namesake music agency after his sexually-charged emails surfaced in the Epstein files. With artists like Chappell Roan leavingand top agents reportedly demanding a change in leadership, talent managers and touring executives say they expect imminent change — possibly a sale of the music firm.
One manager for a major Wasserman artist, who is not a Wasserman employee and who spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity to preserve their relationships within the firm, said agents there informed them that Wasserman plans to step down from the music agency and spin it off into a separate company with a new name.
Representatives for Wasserman did not respond to requests for comment. Providence Equity Partners, a private equity group with significant investments in Wasserman, did not return requests for comment on the situation.
Two other high-ranking music executives from outside the company, who also spoke to The Times on condition of anonymity to maintain relationships there, said talent and agents at Wasserman Music are furious, and planning exits if Wasserman stays much longer. The executives believe Wasserman will likely step aside from the music agency and sell that wing of his company.
They saw no signs yet that he would part with his namesake sports agency, which he has helmed for over two decades and whose clients have been less vocally critical. Wasserman is also facing calls from local lawmakers to step down from his role heading the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. He has not indicated that he will leave his role with the Olympics committee.
“Acts and agents are starting to run out the door. The senior agents there have begged people to give them a minute,” one music executive said. “They’ve engaged with Casey and [investor group] Providence, to say, ‘We’re going to have trouble signing artists, we’re going to lose a lot of acts, we’re losing a lot of people. Let us go.’”
“I think the most likely thing is they end up splitting off the company,” the executive said.
Wasserman has faced pressure to leave his music agency following revelations of emails with now-convicted child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, the consigliere of the late Jeffrey Epstein. He has previously admitted to flying with Epsteinon the financier’s private plane on a trip to Africa with Maxwell and former President Clinton.
The newly surfaced messages to Maxwell, which he sent two decades ago, came in a tranche of Epstein-related documents recently made public by the Department of Justice.
In them, Wasserman wrote:to Maxwell, who is now serving a lengthy prison sentence for sex trafficking of minors, “I thought we would start at that place that you know of, and then continue the massage concept into your bed … and then again in the morning … not sure if or when we would stop.”
She responded: “Umm — all that rubbing — are you sure you can take it? The thought frankly is leaving me a little breathless. There are a few spots that apparently drive a man wild — I suppose I could practise them on you and you could let me know if they work or not?”
Wasserman has said in a statement that “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light. 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.”
Wasserman previously had a contentious separation from his then-wife, Laura Ziffren. The Daily Mail reportedseparate allegations of inappropriate relationships with employees, and the couple divorced in 2024. Billie Eilish, a flagship act for the agency, left Wasserman soon after those allegations surfaced, though it’s unclear if they played in her decision.
After the documents’ release, major acts like Roan — the most high-profile act to defect so far — made clear that Wasserman’s ties to Maxwell and Epstein made it impossible to stay at his agency.
“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,” Roan said, adding that “I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists and I refuse to passively stand by. … This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
Other artists, including the alt-country singer Orville Peck and Best Coast singer and solo artist Bethany Cosentino, left Wasserman or demanded a change in leadership this week as well.
“We are tired of learning, over and over, that men who control access, resources, money and so-called safety in our industry are given endless grace,” Cosentino said. “We are tired of being asked to treat proximity to something horrific as an unfortunate situation we should simply move past — especially when the person involved still holds all the power.”
“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. “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.”
For now, the agency still has high-profile acts including Coldplay, Kendrick Lamar and Ed Sheeran on its roster. But the company recently took down the page on its website listing its talent. Representatives for several top-tier Wasserman acts like Tyler, the Creator declined to discuss plans for their future with the agency.
Outlets including the Wrap and Hollywood Reporter have reported that top agents including Duffy McSwiggin and Marty Diamond, who represent Joni Mitchell and Coldplay, among others, have led a staff revolt demanding Wasserman leave or sell the firm. (Diamond and McSwiggin could not be reached for comment.)
One outside executive told The Times that the team behind Phish and Dave Matthews Band, two of Wasserman’s lucrative touring acts, could potentially be the next big departure. (Representatives for Phish and Dave Matthews Band, and Michael Greisch, who represents both acts at Wasserman, did not return messages seeking comment.)
Wasserman itself acquired and built its ranks from smaller talent firms like Paradigm starting in 2021. That made the sports exec Wasserman an instant music mogul, but he doesn’t have deep ties beyond that in the music industry. Talent firms like UTA and WME are now “offering jobs to anybody that will run out the door,” one music executive said.
While all the executives interviewed expressed deep sympathy for agents dealing with the fallout from Wasserman’s Epstein connections, the consequences for him are, so far, limited to his business and reputation.
L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a recent interview on Fox 11 that “I see no evidence whatsoever that Mr. Wasserman has committed any type of criminal violation.” Mayor Karen Bass has declined to endorse his departure from the Olympics committee, but L.A. County SupervisorJanice Hahn has said “I think Casey Wasserman needs to step down. Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028.”
While sports may be a more forgiving milieu for him, Wasserman’s reputation within the relatively progressive music industry could be too tarnished for him to remain.
“It’s not just the Epstein stuff, but also the stuff that preceded it,” the executive said, referencing the past accusations of affairs. “People are emotional about this. There was talk of a mass work stoppage, walkouts. I understand Casey’s reluctance to let it happen, but look at everything with the Grammys and ICE — music is too volatile.”
Wasserman has already canceled a planned appearance on Telemundo scheduled for Thursday night. On Feb. 26, the Wallis performing arts center in Beverly Hills will host its gala “The Wallis Delivers: Cheers to the Home Team,” where NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Disney chief Bob Iger are scheduled to attend in celebration of gala honoree Wasserman.
Representatives for the Wallis did not respond to requests for comment about the gala. By the time it begins, Wasserman may arrive under different circumstances.
“I think it’s a major black eye for the city of L.A.,” one music executive said of Wasserman’s Epstein ties. “But I think it shows that musicians are not afraid to stand up to anybody. Karen Bass isn’t pushing back, the Olympics aren’t, but Chappell Roan is.”
The post Wasserman’s Epstein ties cause chaos at his music agency. Artists and staff want him out appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
