Casey Wasserman is selling the talent agency he founded in 2002, giving up day-to-day operations after documents linking him to Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell triggered significant backlash from his company’s clients and staff.
The sale was first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Friday (February 13), citing a memo to staff.
Wasserman, grandson of entertainment mogul Lew Wasserman, built Wasserman Agency into one of Hollywood’s largest sports-marketing and talent-management firms with roughly 4,000 employees, according to the WSJ.
Wasserman told employees in the memo that he had “become a distraction” and would hand over control to longtime executive Mike Watts. He apologized for “past personal mistakes” and emphasized his focus on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Backer Providence Equity Partners also said it is committed to keeping the company afloat while it assesses options. Providence first made a strategic investment in Wasserman Agency in 2022.
A spokesman for Providence told Variety, which reports that Providence has since become the majority owner of the agency, “we believe deeply in the strength of the company and have full confidence in Mike and the leadership team, as well as in the exceptional employees across the organization.”
“We remain fully committed to investing in its growth, expanding its capabilities across sports, music, and entertainment, and supporting the extraordinary talent, brands and properties the company is proud to represent.”
Providence Equity (via variety)
The statement continued: “We remain fully committed to investing in its growth, expanding its capabilities across sports, music, and entertainment, and supporting the extraordinary talent, brands and properties the company is proud to represent.”
The controversy stemmed from the recent release of US Department of Justice documents that revealed correspondence between Wasserman and Maxwell, who was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for conspiring with Epstein to abuse minors. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in August 2019, one month after being indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges.
The documents also reveal that Wasserman and his then-wife flew on Epstein’s jet in 2002 to Africa, where they were joined by former President Bill Clinton. Wasserman acknowledged the 2002 flight, but said he had “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” according to the WSJ. In the memo, Wasserman said the trip occurred “years before their criminal conduct came to light.”
The executive told employees that he was “heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks.”
Wasserman also serves as chairman of the LA28 organising committee for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The WSJ said the LA28 board hired outside counsel to review Wasserman’s interactions and found they “did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented.” The board voted unanimously this week to keep him as chairman.
A number of prominent clients have already left Wasserman Agency in recent days, including Grammy-winning pop artist Chappell Roan. Roan said: “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.”
Wasserman Music launched in April 2021 with the acquisition of Paradigm’s North American live music representation business.
Other acts to speak out against Wasserman include Dropkick Murphys, indie rock band Beach Bunny, singer-songwriter Bethany Cosentino, alt-pop singer Chelsea Cutler, country artist Orville Peck, EDM producer Salute, alt band Water From Your Eyes, indie rock band Wednesday, and indie pop artist Weyes Blood.
Variety said the situation puts pressure on high-profile clients at Wasserman-owned Brillstein Entertainment Partners, which recently added Emma Stone and Sydney Sweeney.
Wasserman has not been accused of any illegal activity in connection with the Epstein documents.
A top Hollywood dealmaker told Variety: “He hasn’t violated any law that we know of. But when you couple this with the scandal from a year ago, you see a pattern of behavior. The sleaze factor is too high, and no client wants to be near that.”
In 2024, Billie Eilish left Wasserman Music for rival agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) in the wake of a tabloid scandal surrounding Casey Wasserman. An August 1, 2024 report in the Daily Mail described Casey Wasserman as a “serial cheater”. The Mail said it had 11 unnamed sources for the report, “including some of [Wasserman’s] mistresses.”
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