Casey Wasserman, the American entertainment executive and chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, announced he is selling his namesake talent and marketing agency amid mounting fallout from his appearance in documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision comes after records released by the U.S. Department of Justice showed that Wasserman exchanged private emails with Ghislaine Maxwell Epstein’s longtime associate in 2003, prompting strong criticism and loss of clients.
In a memo to agency staff, Wasserman said he has “become a distraction” to the company’s work and that he has “begun the process of selling the company,” according to reports. He apologized for what he described as “past personal mistakes” and expressed regret that his limited contact with Maxwell has had negative effects on employees and clients.
The controversy has triggered a loss of high-profile talent, including Grammy winner Chappell Roan and soccer great Abby Wambach, who publicly announced they were severing ties with the agency following the revelations.
Other artists and public figures have also criticized Wasserman’s inclusion in the files and urged accountability.
Despite the backlash, the LA28 Olympic board reviewed Wasserman’s past interactions and decided he will remain chairman of the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games Organizing Committee. The board said his connections “did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented,” while Wasserman focuses on delivering the Olympics.
Wasserman has not been accused of any criminal wrongdoing, and he has stated he never had a personal or business relationship with Epstein himself. Nonetheless, the controversy has accelerated his decision to divest from the agency he built over decades.
