Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan has cut ties with the Wasserman talent agency, led by entertainment executive and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics chair Casey Wasserman, following the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Wasserman has not been accused of any wrongdoing. However, documents made public by the US Justice Department show that in 2003 he exchanged flirtatious emails with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted of helping Epstein recruit and abuse underage girls.
“As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman,” Roan wrote on Instagram Monday. “I hold my teams to the highest standards… No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”
Though she did not mention Epstein directly, Roan said artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and ensures their safety and dignity.
Among the released emails was one in which Wasserman told Maxwell, “I think of you all the time. So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
Responding earlier, Wasserman said he “deeply regret” the correspondence, which he described as taking place “long before her horrific crimes came to light.” He also said he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein and met him only once during a 2002 philanthropy trip to Africa with former US President Bill Clinton. He added that he never saw anything inappropriate and had no further contact.
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Maxwell was charged in 2020 and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Roan’s move follows similar decisions by other artists under Wasserman. Bands including Wednesday, Beach Bunny, Water From Your Eyes and Sylvan Esso have announced plans to leave the agency, while Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino publicly urged Wasserman to step down.
Wasserman, grandson of Hollywood mogul Lew Wasserman, heads one of the world’s leading sports and talent agencies and has played a key role in bringing the 2028 Summer Olympics to Los Angeles. The International Olympic Committee has said it will not intervene in the matter.