Casey Wasserman, founder of the prominent talent and sports agency Wasserman, is initiating the sale of his company following intensifying scrutiny stemming from documents released in the Jeffrey Epstein case, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Friday.
Wasserman informed employees of the decision in an internal memo, citing the controversy and a wave of client and executive departures as factors driving the move. The agency has been significantly impacted by the fallout from newly unsealed court filings related to Epstein, which included email exchanges between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell dating back to 2003.
“At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts,” Wasserman wrote in the memo. “That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.” He further stated that Wasserman president Mike Watts will assume day-to-day control of the business even as Wasserman focuses on his role as chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee, a position he will retain, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The decision comes after Wasserman issued an apology on January 31 to The Hollywood Reporter, expressing regret for his correspondence with Maxwell, while maintaining he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein. He described his contact as limited to a humanitarian trip to Africa in 2002 with the Clinton Foundation and “a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending.”
The unsealed documents, released February 3, 2026, revealed details of Wasserman’s interactions with Maxwell, including emails and photographs, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Wasserman reiterated in Friday’s memo that his contact with Maxwell consisted of that trip and the aforementioned emails.
The repercussions of the revelations have been swift. Several prominent clients have either left or signaled their intention to exit Wasserman, including musicians Chappell Roan, Orville Peck, and Sylvan Esso. Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino publicly stated on Instagram on February 5 that she “did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.” Internal discussions among agents have reportedly focused on potential buyouts or spin-offs to mitigate further client losses.
Wasserman’s apology to employees acknowledged the disruption caused by the controversy. “I want to apologize to you,” he wrote. “I’m 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 clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about.”
The sale process is underway, but the future of the agency and its client roster remains uncertain as the fallout from the Epstein case continues to unfold.
