Chappell Roan has dropped her talent agency, Wasserman, citing a misalignment in values with the firm founded and led by Casey Wasserman, whose communications with notorious child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell were made public in the recent Epstein files release. “I hold my team to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well,” Roan wrote on Instagram Stories. “No artists, agent, or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook the actions that conflict so deeply with their own moral values.” Though Wasserman “deeply regrets” his previous correspondence with the world’s most infamous pedophiles, the CEO and sports agent is receiving some of the most, and perhaps only, backlash over Epstein ties.
“I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists, and I refuse to passively stand by,” Roan continues. “Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity. This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
Wasserman’s 2003 email correspondence with Maxwell was revealed in the Department of Justice’s January 30 information dump of Epstein materials. The messages include Wasserman flirting with Maxwell, who tells him she could offer him a massage that can “drive a man wild.” Flight records also place Wasserman on Epstein’s plane, and a photograph of Wasserman with Maxwell and Epstein was made public in the latest release.
“I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,” Wassermaan said in a statement. “I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
Roan joins others in the music world in pressuring the agency to remove its CEO over his ties to Epstein. Last week, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, who has been represented by Wasserman Music since 2021, called on Wasserman to resign, amounting to more accountability than pretty much anyone else in Epstein’s newly published orbit, which includes Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Steve Bannon, Larry Summers, and Peter Thiel. “Ghislaine Maxwell is not a neutral character in a messy story—she is a convicted sex trafficker who helped facilitate the abuse of minors,” Cosentino wrote. “I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”
Yesterday, The Wrap reported that a group of music agents, including those who represent Joni Mitchell, OK Go, and Coldplay, called upon Wasserman to resign. Other artists have also announced upcoming departures from the agency. Also worth noting: Billie Eilish fired the agency in 2024 after The Daily Mail broke the news of Wasserman’s history of sleeping with female employees. Wasserman is also the chair of the LA28 Olympic Committee, and his inclusion in the Epstein files has prompted calls for his resignation from local officials.
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