All posts tagged: Wasserman

Mayor Karen Bass says LA28 head Wasserman should step down

Mayor Karen Bass says LA28 head Wasserman should step down

Published by Sam Flores

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in an interview Monday that she does not want embattled mogul Casey Wasserman running the 2028 Summer Games. Bass told CNN’s Dana Bash that it was “unfortunate” that the organizers of the Los Angeles Olympics are supporting Wasserman amid revelations that he exchanged flirty emails two decades ago with later-convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Bass initially declined to take a position on the drama surrounding Wasserman, saying two weeks ago that it was up to the board of the LA28 Olympics — the nonprofit behind the Games — to decide whether to keep him. But Monday, Bass offered a new take on Wasserman’s fate. “My opinion is that he should step down,” Bass said. “That’s not the opinion of the board.” She said that “we need to look at the leadership” of LA28 and that her job is to make sure that the city is “completely prepared” for the Games. Representatives for LA28 and Wasserman didn’t respond to requests for comment. Wasserman has previously apologized for his correspondence with …

Karen Bass Says Casey Wasserman Should ‘Step Dow’ From LA28

Karen Bass Says Casey Wasserman Should ‘Step Dow’ From LA28

Published by Daniella Wilson

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is calling on Casey Wasserman to step down as chairperson of LA28 after some emails of his surfaced in the Department of Justice’s Jeffrey Epstein document release. During an interview on CNN Monday, the mayor said, “I cannot fire him, but I have an opinion. And my opinion is that he should step down. That’s not the opinion of the board.” Last week, Wasserman was publicly backed by the Los Angeles Olympics Committee board after they hired an outside law firm to review his interactions with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker connected to Epstein. Their flirtatious correspondence took place in 2003, years before Epstein’s arrest in Palm Beach. “LA28 takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and our Board is committed to thoroughly reviewing any concerns related to the organization’s leadership,” the executive committee wrote. “Mr. Wasserman fully cooperated with the review. We found Mr. Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented.” Bass made it clear in today’s interview that she disagreed …

Who Will Buy Wasserman Following Epstein Scandal?

Who Will Buy Wasserman Following Epstein Scandal?

Published by Daniella Wilson

A major power shift hit Hollywood late Friday when Casey Wasserman told his 4,000 employees in a bombshell memo he’d be selling off his eponymous management firm after a week of growing criticism over his inclusion in the Epstein files. Now there could be an M&A frenzy in the works as prospective buyers plot ways to carve up his representation empire. Big questions are ahead: Will the mogul plan on selling the company whole? Or would he make deals for individual divisions piecemeal? Wasserman, founded in 2002, is a sprawling roll-up of boutique marketing arms, a powerhouse sports unit, a music division, a speakers branch and a creators department. Until only a few years ago, when it made a change to unify its branding under the single name of its founder, the Westwood-based company operated as a constellation of brands under its “Team Wass” billing. “But it’s never been one company,” one source says. “It’s never been a team or cohesive.” One top music executive tells The Hollywood Reporter it’s plausible that a major talent agency …

Providence Equity in Support of Casey Wasserman Selling Agency

Providence Equity in Support of Casey Wasserman Selling Agency

Published by Daniella Wilson

Following Casey Wasserman‘s recent announcement that he is putting his agency up for sale, Providence Equity has issued a statement in support of Mike Watts’ leadership in the time of change and overall future of the company. In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, a Providence spokesperson said, “We believe deeply in the strength of the Company and have full confidence in Mike and the leadership team, as well as in the exceptional employees across the organization. We remain fully committed to investing in its growth, expanding its capabilities across sports, music, and entertainment, and supporting the extraordinary talent, brands, and properties the Company is proud to represent.” Wasserman sent a memo to staffers Friday night where he revealed he’d be selling the agency. The news follows a wave of backlash surrounding correspondence between the former CEO and Ghislaine Maxwell in the recently released Epstein files. In his message to staff, he wrote that he had “become a distraction” to the company’s efforts, which “is why I have begun the process of selling the company, …

Casey Wasserman puts his talent agency up for sale

Casey Wasserman puts his talent agency up for sale

Published by Sam Flores

Casey Wasserman, CEO of the Wasserman Media Group, interviews during the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., on July 9, 2025. David A. Grogan | CNBC The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics chief, Casey Wasserman, is putting his talent and marketing agency up for sale, The ⁠Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, following criticism for flirtatious email exchanges with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell more than 20 years ago. Wasserman has been criticized and called on to resign as the LA28 chief after the release ⁠of ‌messages. His firm has lost pop star Chappell Roan as a client, with Roan saying earlier this week she was no longer represented by his company. Wasserman has denied having a personal or ‌business relationship with late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He has previously apologized for his association ​with Maxwell, saying their relationship came before her or Epstein’s crimes were revealed. Wasserman’s talent agency did not respond to a request for comment outside regular …

Casey Wasserman to Sell Agency Amid Epstein Files Scandal

Casey Wasserman to Sell Agency Amid Epstein Files Scandal

Published by Daniella Wilson

Casey Wasserman is putting his agency up for sale, the mogul announced in a memo to staff Friday night, following a week of intense scrutiny and criticism from his roster after suggestive emails he’d sent to Ghislaine Maxwell had surfaced in the Epstein Files. In the memo, obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Wasserman said that he had “become a distraction” from his company’s operations, confirming he’d sell the agency, though he didn’t specify to whom. Wasserman said that Mike Watts would oversee day-to-day operations of the business during the sales process “while I devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles an Olympic Games in 2028 that is worthy of this outstanding city.” “First and foremost, I want to apologize to you,” Wasserman wrote in the memo. “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 decision follows significant pressure from the music department in particular, …

Chappell Roan leaves talent agency led by Casey Wasserman after emails shown in Epstein files | Ents & Arts News

Chappell Roan leaves talent agency led by Casey Wasserman after emails shown in Epstein files | Ents & Arts News

Published by Daniella Wilson

US singer Chappell Roan has announced she is leaving her talent agency, after emails between its founder and Ghislaine Maxwell were featured in the Epstein files. The Grammy-winning star shared a statement on social media announcing her departure from Wasserman, led by Casey Wasserman, saying she holds her teams “to the highest standards” and has “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,” she added. Image: Casey Wasserman is chairman of organising the Olympics in 2028. Pic: AP/ Damian Dovarganes 2025 Roan, 27, said she refused to “passively stand by” and that artists “deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity”. The decision to leave Wasserman “reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust”, she concluded. Roan did not mention the Epstein files in her statement. Documents recently released by the US justice department included flirtatious email exchanges between Wasserman, …

Providence Equity in Support of Casey Wasserman Selling Agency

Casey Wasserman Faces Artist Rebellion Amid Epstein Fallout

Published by Daniella Wilson

Days after Casey Wasserman was named in a tranche of Department of Justice documents related to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and accomplice Ghislane Maxwell, the entertainment mogul is facing an internal schism at his namesake company. “The position Casey Wasserman has put his agents in is inexcusable,” wrote Bethany Cosentino, frontwoman of rock duo Best Coast, in an open letter on Feb. 6 calling for the mogul to “step down” from the music and sports representation powerhouse he founded and has run since 2002. “We are demanding for Wasserman to remove himself and his name from the agency,” the Lili Trifilio-led band Beach Bunny posted on Feb. 8. “Continuing to be represented by a company led by and named after Casey Wasserman goes against our values and cannot continue,” the Karly Hartzman-MJ Lenderman band Wednesday posted a day later, hours before Chappell Roan posted that she was parting ways with the representation giant. “No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own …

How Casey Wasserman entered Epstein’s orbit

How Casey Wasserman entered Epstein’s orbit

Published by Sam Flores

When Casey Wasserman boarded Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet for a two-week tour of Africa in 2002, he had little inkling he was embarking on a journey that could imperil his fortune. The 28-year-old scion of Hollywood mogul Lew Wasserman was already the heir of a multimillion-dollar philanthropic foundation, the owner of a professional football team and the founder of a growing sports marketing firm. But many saw this as just the beginning for Wasserman, who seemed destined to follow his legendary grandfather as a business, political and culture titan. He found an opportunity to step onto the world stage when former President Clinton invited him on a humanitarian trip to five African countries to promote AIDS/HIV prevention and economic development in nations racked by disease and war. Wasserman, a prolific Clinton fundraiser whose grandfather helped him win the 1992 presidential election, was joined by others including his then-wife, Laura, actor Kevin Spacey, Epstein and his longtime companion Ghislaine Maxwell. Casey Wasserman, then a 28-year-old owner of the LA Avengers, is photographed at his office in …

L.A. Olympics Boss Casey Wasserman Gets Mired In Epstein Emails

L.A. Olympics Boss Casey Wasserman Gets Mired In Epstein Emails

Published by Daniella Wilson

Hollywood mogul Casey Wasserman’s notably close relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell in the early 2000s is revealed in the latest tranche of Jeffrey Epstein files. A new round of docs was released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 30 to abide by Congress’ demand for fuller transparency about the convicted human trafficker and child sex offender, who died in 2019. Wasserman, the powerful media and sports magnate who chairs the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics committee, had long been known to have flown, along with his then-wife Laura, on Epstein’s plane. Specifically, as confirmed through previously surfaced flight logs and press reports, on a 2002 AIDS research fact-finding tour Africa along with the financier, Maxwell, President Bill Clinton and others, including Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey. The new files include an FBI report detailing an interview with an onboard emergency physician who’d been contracted with the Secret Service to provide support for the former president. This doctor recalled four women between 20 and 22 on the flight. “No one knew why they were there as …