A besieged Casey Wasserman is putting his entire talent and marketing agency on the auction block as the fallout from revelations of his relationships with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell continues to batter the LA28 chair.
“This organization, its leadership and the entire team mean the world to me,” Wasserman said in a memo to staff today. “Our 4,000 employees are the absolute best in the business. I see you put it all on the line for your clients every day. Our clients expect – and deserve – world-class representation. And that’s exactly what they get because of all of you.”
Despite clients heading for the exit doors, rumblings of a LA28 board uprising (that eventually fizzled out), and talk around town of internal and external efforts to offload various divisions of the agency, sources close to Wasserman have been insisting for weeks he would never sell the organization he started 20 years ago. Now, in an industry where the truth is almost always a negotiated asset, that is clearly not the case as big bands like Phish have been kicking the tires of seeking new representation and execs at the Brad Pitt-representing Brillstein Entertainment Partners sought a pathway out.
See Casey Wasserman’s full memo below on selling his agency
“At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts,” Wasserman added late Friday, echoing terms used by clients and LA politicians over the past two weeks since the massive Epstein Files document dump by the DOJ. “That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.”
Having just received the unanimous backing of his handpicked Los Angeles Olympics board, Wasserman has also seen superstars like Chappell Roan and soccer legend Abby Wambach exit over “moral values” for his association with the now dead pedophile and his currently jailed procurer. In that context, a number of the recipients of Friday’s memo include more than a few agents who have been publicly talking about moving to another organization or seeing if they can purchaser parts of the Providence Equity Partners-back Wasserman group themselves.
The 2004 formed company took a big leap up in 2021 with the acquisition of the Paradigm Talent Agency and the 2023 buy of management heavyweights Brillstein Entertainment Partners — all of which are up to the highest or fastest bidder now.
“Hopefully by now you know the facts about my limited interactions with those two individuals,” the grandson of legendary Hollywood chief Lew Wasserman proclaimed in his note to employees. “It 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’m 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.”
Hardship is a very circumspect way of putting it.
Sports marketing and talent agency founder Wasserman left supporters and staff blindsided when a collection of carnal and compromising 2003 emails between himself and now convicted sex offender Maxwell emerged among the millions of heavily-redacted pages and images on the well-connected Epstein, the Pam Bondi-led Department of Justice dumped out on January 30. Less than 24-hours later, as Wasserman prepared to head to Italy for the opening of the XXV Winter Olympics Games, his PR team put out a circumspect statement insisting the exec was “terribly sorry for having any association” with the 2019 dead Epstein and Maxwell.
Today’s memo reiterates much of that sentiment, and may not be the last shoe to drop.
See Casey Wasserman’s memo to staff about selling his agency here
Team:
I wanted to write to you all directly to share a few important updates. Over the past couple of weeks, I have spoken to many of you directly – and I wish I could have spoken with each and every one of you because you all have put your hearts and souls into this incredible organization.
First and foremost, I want to apologize to you. 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 pain experienced by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell is unimaginable – and I’m glad, as I’m sure you all are, that those who helped them commit their crimes are rightly being held accountable.
Hopefully by now you know the facts about my limited interactions with those two individuals. It 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’m 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.
Other than my children and my fiancée, there are two things that matter most to me in this world: this company that I founded 24 years ago, and the dream I’ve pursued for more than a decade of bringing the Olympic Games back to the city I love.
This organization, its leadership and the entire team mean the world to me. Our 4,000 employees are the absolute best in the business. I see you put it all on the line for your clients every day. Our clients expect – and deserve – world-class representation. And that’s exactly what they get because of all of you.
At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That 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 while I devote my full attention to delivering Los Angeles an Olympic Games in 2028 that is worthy of this outstanding city.
I so appreciate the passion and fight you bring to your jobs. It’s why you succeed.
I’m beyond proud of what this company has accomplished to date and excited to watch its next chapter.
All my best,
Casey
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