Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA28 Olympic Games, will remain in charge of the Olympics but is selling his company as he views he has become a \u201cdistraction\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA28 Olympic Games, is selling his talent agency after the recent controversy surrounding his name in the Epstein Files, according to a company-wide memo Wasserman sent out, first reported by the Wall Street Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wasserman founded the agency in 2002 and has represented multiple high-profile athletes and artists over the past 20+ years. Once Wasserman sells his piece of the company \u2014 roughly 40% with Providence Equity Partners owning the other roughly 60% \u2014, it is expected to rebrand, according to Sports Business Journal<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts,\u201d Wasserman wrote in the memo. \u201cThat is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway. During this time, Mike Watts will assume day-to-day control of the business.\u201d<\/p>\n The files the U.S. Department of Justice released revealed flirtatious emails from the early 2000s between Wasserman and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Some of the exchanges include Maxwell telling Wasserman she thought of him at \u201cinappropriate moments\u201d and Wasserman asking Maxwell, \u201cwhat do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?\u201d<\/p>\n The files didn\u2019t reveal any relationship with Epstein himself beyond Wasserman meeting him one time, when he flew on Epstein\u2019s plane to a humanitarian mission to Africa at the invitation of the Clinton Foundation. The LA28 Board, with the help of outside counsel at O\u2019Melveny & Myers LLP, found Wasserman\u2019s relationship didn\u2019t go beyond what was publicly known.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully by now you know the facts about my limited interactions with those two individuals,\u201d Wasserman wrote. \u201cIt was years before their criminal conduct came to light, and, in its entirety, consisted of one humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending. And I\u2019m heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n Following the release of these files, many artists a part of Wasserman\u2019s agency have left the company, including: Chappell Roan<\/a>,\u00a0Gigi Perez, Orville Peck, Wednesday, Weyes Blood, Water From Your Eyes, Beach Bunny, Local Natives, Chelsea Cutler, Dropkick Murphys and Bethany Cosentino.<\/p>\n Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n