The news broke on Monday: Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan has officially severed ties with the Wasserman talent agency. This decision comes as revelations from the recently unsealed Jeffrey Epstein files continue to send shockwaves through the sports and culture industries, particularly concerning agency founder Casey Wasserman’s past flirtatious emails with Ghislaine Maxwell.
On Instagram, Roan, beloved for her hits “Pink Pony Club” and “Good luck, Babe!”, stated, “As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman.” She emphasized her commitment to high standards and the duty to protect her team, asserting that “No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.” While her statement carefully avoided directly naming Maxwell or Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking, the implication was clear. Roan concluded, “This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
The Justice Department documents released last month revealed that Wasserman, who also chairs the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games, exchanged emails with Maxwell back in 2003.
These communications took place while Wasserman was married with a young family, years before Maxwell’s 2021 conviction for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse teenage girls.
In these unsettling exchanges, Maxwell reportedly offered Wasserman a massage that would “drive a man wild,” and Wasserman himself responded in another email, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
Following the public release of these emails, Wasserman issued a statement expressing “deep regret” for his correspondence with Maxwell, stressing that it occurred “over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.” He also denied any relationship with Epstein, though he did acknowledge a trip on Epstein’s plane in 2002, adding, “I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
However, these apologies haven’t quelled the growing pressure on Wasserman to step down from both his agency and the Olympic committee.
Chappell Roan, with over 35 million monthly listeners on Spotify, is the most prominent artist to sever ties, but she’s far from alone.
Lili Trifilio, the guitarist and vocalist of Beach Bunny, another Wasserman client, publicly demanded that Wasserman remove himself and his name from the agency. She critiqued his “deep regrets” as insufficient, calling his exchanges with Maxwell “abhorrent and disturbing on every level.”
Similarly, the North Carolina indie-rock band Wednesday announced their departure from Wasserman this week, stating, “Continuing to be represented by a company led by and named after Casey Wasserman goes against our values and cannot continue.” They voiced hope that he would step down and the company would be rebranded for the sake of its employees.
The Wasserman agency has not yet provided a comment regarding these developments.
Bethany Cosentino, frontwoman of the band Best Coast, which joined Wasserman in 2021, also penned an open letter to the agency. She requested the removal of her and her band’s name from its website and urged Wasserman to resign. Cosentino stated, “As an artist represented by Wasserman, I did not consent to having my name or career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”
The agency’s client roster includes other major artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Coldplay, Joni Mitchell, Lorde, and Tyler, The Creator, making the unfolding situation a significant moment for the entertainment industry.