Casey Wasserman to Sell Talent Agency Amid Epstein Files Fallout

Casey Wasserman has decided to put his eponymous talent agency and marketing company up for sale as he grapples with the intense fallout from the revelations about his past relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell, as detailed in the Epstein files disclosure.

Wasserman confirmed his plan in a memo to Wasserman’s staff This was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The sale will also involve Brillstein Entertainment Partners’ talent division, which has long managed top stars such as Brad Pitt.

“I am deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you such inconvenience,” Wasserman wrote in a memo sent Friday evening.

“At this time, I believe I have become a distraction to these efforts. Therefore, I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway. During this time, Mike Watts will assume day-to-day control of the company while I devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles in 2028 to an Olympic Games worthy of this outstanding city,” Wasserman wrote.

The embattled entrepreneur acknowledged that the pressure to sell his company in a hurry was difficult to handle.

“Besides my children and my fiancé, there are two things that matter most to me in this world: this company I founded 24 years ago, and the dream I’ve been pursuing for more than a decade to bring the Olympics back to the city I love,” Wasserman wrote.

The details of Wasserman’s plan to divest his agencies were not immediately clear. Wasserman, a longtime sports and media investor, is also chairman of LA28, the committee organizing the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Wasserman was reconfirmed to that position by a vote of the LA28 board earlier this week, amid increasing public cries from local officials for him to step down from that high-profile role.

Wasserman, the grandson of legendary Hollywood agent Lew Wasserman, has seen his fortunes rise since the extent of his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime Epstein associate who was found guilty of sex trafficking charges and is currently in prison, was revealed in the latest batch of Epstein files. The files revealed emails exchanged between Maxwell and Wasserman in 2003 that were flirty and risky at a time when Wasserman was married. Wasserman expressed regret about the relationship and emphasized that he had no connections to Epstein, nor did anything emerge from the millions of files released by the Justice Department. But the damage had been done.

Artists who have left the agency in recent days include Chappell Roan, Gigi Perez, Orville Peck, Wednesday, Weyes Blood, Water From Your Eyes, Beach Bunny, Local Natives, Chelsea Cutler, Dropkick Murphys and Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino – whose social media post last week essentially heralded the exodus – among other acts.

The agency is one of the largest in the music world, including Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Phish, Raye, SZA, Joni Mitchell, Janelle Monae, Geese and frontman Cameron Winter, Tyler, the Creator, Wednesday and hundreds of others. Wasserman’s artist list was removed from the website sometime in the last few days, presumably in response to requests from artists to remove their names.

Wasserman acquired his music business in 2021 when talent agency Paradigm went through a fire sale process. In 2023, he acquired the highly regarded entertainment management company Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Wasserman’s original business was sports, but its acquisition of many of Paradigm’s music assets in 2021 made it one of the largest music agencies. It also has a smaller but important film/TV agency.

On balance, Wasserman is currently not connected to Epstein’s crimes or misconduct and is documented as once riding on Epstein’s private jet (during a 2002 humanitarian trip with a Clinton Foundation delegation) and exchanging raunchy emails with Maxwell while he was married, years before Epstein’s disturbing crimes became public. He has apologized for the connection and said he is “completely sorry that he had any relationship with either of them.” He is also the head of several charities.

For Wasserman, however, it is the second scandal in eighteen months. In July 2024 – ironically, during the Paris Olympics – a damning report was published accusing Wasserman, grandson of vaunted Hollywood dealmaker Lew Wasserman, of having had “serious” affairs with junior employees for years. These reported indiscretions – which Wasserman did not comment on – caused a stir at the time, but seemed to fade over the weeks. Billie Eilish’s departure from the agency was believed to be related to the report, although multiple sources insist she was already leaving by the time it emerged.

So soon after the previous accusations, optics — especially for a company named after its founder — may be more important than facts.

Here’s Wasserman’s full memo:

Team:

I wanted to write to you all directly to share a few important updates. Over the past few weeks I have spoken directly to many of you – and I wish I could have spoken to each and every one of you, because you have all poured your heart and soul into this incredible organization.

First and foremost, I would like to apologize to you. I am 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 customers and partners we so powerfully represent and care about so deeply.

The pain experienced by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is unimaginable – and I am glad, like all of you, that those who helped them commit their crimes are being rightly held accountable.

Hopefully by now you know the facts about my limited interactions with those two individuals. Their criminal behavior took years to come to light, and consisted entirely of a humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending. And I am heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company and its customers so much hardship in recent days and weeks.

Besides my children and my fiancé, there are two things that matter most to me in this world: this company I founded 24 years ago, and the dream I’ve been pursuing for more than a decade to bring the Olympic Games back to the city I love.

This organization, its leadership and the entire team mean the world to me. Our 4,000 employees are the absolute best in the industry. I see you risk everything for your customers every day. Our clients expect – and deserve – world-class representation. And that’s exactly what they get thanks to all of you.

At this point, I believe I have become a distraction to those efforts. That’s why I started the process of selling the company, a process that is already underway. During this period, Mike Watts will assume day-to-day management of the company while I dedicate my full attention to delivering a Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games worthy of this special city.

I really appreciate the passion and fight you bring to your work. It’s why you succeed.

I am beyond proud of what this company has achieved so far and look forward to the next chapter.

All my best,

Casey