Casey Wasserman has announced plans to sell his talent agency and step away from the business following backlash related to emails from 2003 that have resurfaced in the latest release of Epstein files. The emails, which were exchanged with Ghislaine Maxwell, have drawn criticism from various artists represented by the agency, prompting calls for Wasserman to resign.
In his memo to employees, Wasserman expressed regret over the discomfort caused by his past personal mistakes, emphasizing the importance of the agency’s clients and partners. Mike Watts, a longtime executive within the agency, has been appointed to lead day-to-day operations. Providence Equity, which acquired a majority stake in the company in 2022, has expressed confidence in Watts and the leadership team moving forward.
The agency’s music division, which was expanded through acquisitions of Paradigm’s US and UK music divisions, faces a challenging environment as several artists have publicly announced their departure from the agency in response to the controversy. Given the fluidity of artist-agent relationships, the urgency for a decisive response from Wasserman was apparent to prevent further attrition of talent.
Wasserman also serves as Chair of the committee overseeing the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a role that his colleagues have encouraged him to retain. He indicated in his memo that he would now focus on that responsibility while transitioning out of the talent agency business.