Casey Wasserman is selling one of the most prestigious talent agencies in the world after his name was among many found in the latest Epstein files released.
Emails in the files indicated Wasserman engaged in flirtatious banter decades ago with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in prison after being accused of working closely with Jeffrey Epstein to sexually exploit multiple minor girls.
Wasserman said Friday evening that he was selling the firm because he felt he had become a “distraction.” Wasserman is stepping back from the business he founded in 2002 to devote his attention to chairing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, telling 4,000 employees in a company-wide message, “I’m deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort,” according to the New York Times.
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While aside from Maxwell, those who associated with Epstein have not been criminally implicated in any way and have professed ignorance of his sexual exploits, the latest batch of government releases on the now-deceased financier have led to widespread repercussions, with Wasserman’s decision being the latest. Singer Chappell Roan and soccer star Abby Wambach were among celebrities who led the artist exodus from Wasserman after the latest government’s latest documents on Epstein were released on Jan. 30 by the Justice Department.
Epstein’s connections to powerful figures across the entertainment, business, and political sectors have been long documented. He mingled with figures ranging from former President Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump, to Victoria’s Secret’s Lex Wexner and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, as well as Harvard academia, distinguished scientists such as physicist Stephen Hawking, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics 35-member committee stood by Wasserman this week, after conducting a review they said determined the talent mogul’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell “did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented.”
“Twenty-three years ago, before Mr. Wasserman or the public knew of Epstein and Maxwell’s deplorable crimes, Mr. Wasserman and his then-wife flew on a humanitarian mission to Africa on Epstein’s plane at the invitation of the Clinton Foundation. This was his single interaction with Epstein. Shortly after, he traded the publicly-known emails with Maxwell,” the board wrote in a statement.
“The [LA28] Executive Committee of the Board has determined that based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games,” the statement continued.
The emails Wasserman resigned over date back to 2003, when he exchanged a series of flirtatious messages with Maxwell.
“I think of you all the time,” Wasserman said in one exchange. “So, what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?”
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Wasserman apologized for the messages earlier this month and said he never had a relationship with Epstein.
“I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell, which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,” he said. “I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.