Chappell Roan announced that she has dropped Wasserman, the sports and entertainment agency led by CEO Casey Wasserman, amid fallout from the executive being mentioned in the latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein files.
"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 said on her Instagram story on Monday, Feb. 9. "I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists and I refuse to stand by."
Roan noted that "artists deserve representation that aligns with their values" and the decision "reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust."
The agency, founded by the 51-year-old Wasserman, counts Adam Sandler, Brad Pitt, and Katie Ledecky among its suite of high-profile clients across sports and entertainment. USA TODAY reached out to Wasserman for a response and to Roan's business representatives for further comment.
Other artists demand Wasserman's resignation
Roan's decision comes as other artists in the agency have left the firm or demanded that Wasserman leave.
Best Coast singer Bethany Cosentino published an open letter on Instagram Feb. 5, demanding Wasserman's resignation, saying "the position Casey Wasserman has put his agents in is inexcusable." The band Beach Bunny posted a statement to social media on Jan. 8, arguing that Wasserman's actions are "abhorrent and disturbing on every level."
The band Wednesday announced its departure from Wasserman in a Jan. 9 statement.
"Last week we were among the hundreds of artists who were aghast to find out about Casey Wasserman’s communications with Ghislaine Maxwell that were made public in the latest release of the Epstein files," the statement on Instagram reads. "We find Casey’s attempts to deflect and dismiss this situation deeply troubling."
Wasserman acknowledged in a Jan. 31 statement what appear to be a series of flirty and sexually suggestive emails he exchanged in 2003 with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with the disgraced financier over the course of a decade.
"I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," Wasserman said in a statement. "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."
He has not been charged in the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell.
Epstein fallout: With new emails comes the fall of a wellness guruLos Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, California state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, and a trio of city council members were among those who called for Wasserman to resign as chairman of the LA28 Olympics committee, the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month.
"Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028," Hahn told the newspaper.
Contributing: Mark Giannotto, USA TODAY; Reuters
