Lead: Casey Wasserman, founder and CEO of the Wasserman talent and sports agency and chair of the Los Angeles 2028 organizing committee, is facing rapid reputational fallout after emails linked to Ghislaine Maxwell were released by the Justice Department on Jan. 30, 2024. Several high-profile artists and at least one athlete have publicly distanced themselves or left the agency, while calls for Wasserman to step down from leadership roles are growing. The correspondence includes sexually explicit requests to Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, and has prompted inquiries from LA28 and others about the scope of his ties to Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein. The next days will test whether the agency and LA2028 can contain the damage or if departures will accelerate.
- DOJ release date: The Department of Justice published the email tranche on Jan. 30, 2024, which included messages between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell from 2003.
- Explicit content cited: Emails attributed to Wasserman include a line asking Maxwell, “So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?” and references to massages described as potentially arousing.
- Client departures: Musicians including Bethany Cosentino, Chappell Roan, Wednesday, Orville Peck and Beach Bunny publicly condemned Wasserman or announced splits; former USWNT star Abby Wambach has announced her departure.
- Agency response: Wasserman apologized, saying he “deeply regret[s] my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” while the agency removed some client pages from its website amid the controversy.
- LA2028 review: LA2028 said it had outside counsel review Wasserman’s associations and found nothing beyond what is publicly documented, but some stakeholders remain unsatisfied.
- Past connections: Wasserman traveled in 2002 on Jeffrey Epstein’s Boeing 727 to Africa with Maxwell and several public figures; that trip predates the 2003 emails.
- Political giving noted: Wasserman donated $525,000 to Friends of the IDF in 2019 and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently, facts that shape public perception of his political ties.
Background
Casey Wasserman launched his agency in 1998 and expanded rapidly through acquisitions, absorbing established outfits including Arn Tellem’s operations and the soccer agency SFX. His business growth was facilitated in part by family legacy: his grandfather, Lew Wasserman, was a dominant Hollywood figure whose 1990 sale of MCA to Matsushita helped build substantial family wealth. The Wasserman agency represents athletes, musicians and entertainment talent and has positioned Casey as a connector between sports, media and political circles.
In 2014, then–Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tapped Wasserman to lead the city’s campaign to host a future Olympics, and Los Angeles was later awarded the 2028 Games. That role elevated Wasserman into a governance position with global visibility and sizable responsibilities for sponsorship, legacy planning and partner relations. Separately, Ghislaine Maxwell—now convicted and serving a 20-year federal sentence for sex trafficking and related counts—maintains a central place in public scrutiny of Jeffrey Epstein’s network, especially after government-released materials revealed extensive communications among Epstein’s associates.
Main Event
The latest widely circulated tranche of emails, released by the Justice Department on Jan. 30, 2024, includes correspondence dated to 2003 between an account linked to Casey Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell. Excerpts reported in media outlets show sexually explicit language and invitations that have alarmed artists and partners. Those messages follow a 2002 flight to Africa on Epstein’s private Boeing 727 that included Maxwell, Wasserman, and other public figures; the trip has been described publicly as a fundraising and awareness effort, though its optics have since drawn scrutiny.
After the emails became public, Wasserman issued a brief apology acknowledging the correspondence and saying he regretted it, while stressing his only documented tie to Epstein was the 2002 trip. The agency has since taken down some client listings from its public site and is confronting an exodus of talent and renewed questions from sponsors and partners. Several artists and at least one prominent athlete publicly severed ties or demanded leadership changes at the agency.
LA2028 convened its board and reported that outside counsel had reviewed Wasserman’s associations with Maxwell and Epstein, concluding those associations did not extend beyond publicly known material. Nonetheless, activists, artists and some agency clients say that the review’s result is inadequate and that organizational leadership should reflect higher standards given the sensitivity of the allegations and the agency’s role servicing talent and youth athletes.
Analysis & Implications
The immediate reputational impact is clear: talent representation depends on trust, and several high-profile departures signal that many clients no longer feel comfortable remaining under Wasserman’s banner. In the short term, the agency faces talent attrition, sponsor pressure, and potential revenue losses if more clients and corporate partners cut ties. Midterm governance questions include whether Wasserman can retain the LA2028 chairmanship if departures accelerate and whether the agency’s board will demand structural changes or a leadership transition.
Institutional responses will be measured by legal exposure and political cost. The emails, as published, do not by themselves constitute criminal charges against Wasserman, but they raise ethical and reputational questions that can drive civil disputes, contract terminations and sponsor withdrawals. For LA2028, even a finding that conduct was limited to past private correspondence may not be sufficient for stakeholders seeking higher transparency and accountability from Olympic organizers.
There is also a broader industry effect: talent agencies and sports governance bodies are likely to reassess vetting, conduct policies and crisis protocols after this episode. Public confidence in institutions that manage youth and high-profile athletes is fragile after high-profile abuse scandals; organizations tied to major events—particularly the Olympics—face higher scrutiny because of their public funding, sponsor networks and youth programming.
Comparison & Data
| Item | Year/Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| DOJ email release | Jan. 30, 2024 | Public tranche including 2003 correspondence involving Maxwell |
| Epstein-linked Africa trip | 2002 | Two-week trip on Epstein’s Boeing 727 with Maxwell and several public figures |
| Political donation | 2019 | $525,000 to Friends of the IDF |
| Maxwell sentence | 2022 | Serving 20-year federal prison term for sex-trafficking convictions |
These points provide a timeline and factual anchors for public response. The donation and travel history shape perceptions of Wasserman’s political and social circles, while the DOJ release date defines when the material entered wide public view and triggered immediate departures.
Reactions & Quotes
“I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Casey Wasserman (apology)
Wasserman’s apology acknowledges the email content while asserting limits to his ties with Epstein. The statement has not quelled criticism from artists and partners who say the conduct is inconsistent with their values.
“I hold my teams to the highest standards and have a duty to protect them as well. No artist, agent, or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.”
Chappell Roan (artist)
Artists who publicly distanced themselves framed their departures as a matter of principle and team protection, highlighting how talent relations now factor into reputational governance for agencies.
“LA28 takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and our Board is committed to thoroughly reviewing any concerns related to the organization’s leadership.”
LA2028 (official statement)
LA2028 cited outside counsel review in its public response; critics say that statement does not resolve lingering questions about judgment and associations in the chair’s past conduct.
Unconfirmed
- Allegations in tabloid coverage that label Wasserman a “serial cheater” are reported by tabloids and have not been independently verified here; such personal conduct claims should be treated separately from the email content and require corroboration.
- The full extent of Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein beyond the documented 2002 trip and 2003 correspondence is not established in the public record released to date.
- Any claims that the emails imply criminal liability for Wasserman are not substantiated by charges; current material is public correspondence and not a court judgment against him.
Bottom Line
This episode underscores how historical communications can quickly become present-day crises for leaders of major agencies and event organizations. For Wasserman, the immediate test is whether the agency’s talent roster stabilizes or whether departures deepen, prompting board-level action or leadership change. For LA2028, the problem is twofold: manage the optics with sponsors and stakeholders while ensuring robust governance that satisfies public expectations ahead of the 2028 Games.
Even if legal exposure remains limited, reputational damage and talent loss can impose lasting commercial costs. Observers should watch agency client lists, sponsor statements and any further disclosures from the DOJ or other investigative bodies; these will determine whether this becomes a contained reputational episode or a structural turning point for Wasserman’s roles.