Casey Wasserman, head of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, is selling his high-profile talent agency amid intense backlash over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. This is because more and more celebrities are quitting their jobs due to this influence.
“First and foremost, I want to apologize to you. I am deeply sorry for the amount of discomfort my past personal mistakes have caused you. This is unfair to you and unfair to the customers and partners we represent so tirelessly and care so much about,” Wasserman said in an email to staff Friday night obtained by Page Six.
“At this point, I believe I am standing in the way of those efforts. As such, I have begun the process of selling the company, and those efforts are already underway.”
Wasserman handed over the company’s duties to longtime executive Mike Watts, who vowed to continue leading the group responsible for the Summer Olympics scheduled for the City of Angels in two years.
“During this time, Mike Watts will take over the day-to-day management of the business and my full focus will be on delivering the 2028 Olympics to Los Angeles that this great city deserves,” Wasserman said.
The LA28 Executive Committee previously announced that Wasserman would remain as Chairman of the LA28 Organizing Committee for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The controversial executive has come under fire since the Justice Department released more than 3 million files related to the convicted pedophile, including racy emails between Wasserman and Maxwell.
One correspondence was prompted by Wasserman, who was searching for a confidant of Epstein, who was convicted in April 2003.
“Where are you, I want to see you,” he wrote to Maxwell.
“I’m going to New York for 4 days starting April 22nd…Can I book that massage now?”
Maxwell responded two days later with a passionate message of her own.
“There are some things that clearly drive men crazy. Could you try it on yourself and tell me if it works?”
After the files were released, Wasserman said he “deeply regrets” the messages, but said they were before Maxwell’s “heinous crimes” were revealed.
“I have never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” the Hollywood mogul said.
In the aftermath of the email scandal, a number of top Hollywood clients were leaked, ties with Wasserman’s eponymous talent agency were severed, and there were calls for his resignation.
Grammy Award winner Chapel Lawn and U.S. Women’s National Team legend Abby Wambach have already called it quits.
The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer said, “Artists, agents, and employees should not be expected to defend or ignore conduct that is grossly inconsistent with our own moral values.”
Other music clients who have left the agency or spoken out include the Dropkick Murphys, John Summitt, Orville Peck, Way’s Blood, Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino and indie group Wednesday.
Wasserman hosted the annual NBA All-Star reception in Los Angeles on Friday, hours before announcing his decision to sell the company.
The event, held at Gagosian in Beverly Hills, was attended by more than 300 guests, including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and ESPN Chairman James Pitaro.
