Clients of Casey Wasserman's namesake agency have begun defecting after his relationship to Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell came to light.
On Thursday (Feb. 5), Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino was the first artist signed to the powerful Wasserman agency to speak out over revelations that its founder and CEO, Casey Wasserman, had carried on a flirtatious relationship with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell — the main accomplice of convicted child sex predator Jeffrey Epstein — after the latest tranche of 3 million files in the Epstein case was released. Expressing anger over Wasserman’s apology, in which the executive said he “deeply regret[s]” his communications with Maxwell, Cosentino called for Wasserman to step down from his post and for the agency to change its name, among other demands.
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Since Cosentino’s Instagram post went live, several more artists — mainly indie acts — have responded to the controversy. Though these responses have varied somewhat, most have either announced their exit from the agency over the revelations or seemingly threatened to leave if Wasserman isn’t held accountable for his actions. Nearly all have expressed support for their agents. On Monday evening (Feb. 9), Chappell Roan became the first major star to speak out on the issue, writing that she had left the agency amid the growing outrage (without explicity mentioning Epstein or Maxwell).
The growing number of artist defections is now continuing to snowball into a major issue for Wasserman and his namesake agency, which represents such superstars as Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, SZA, Noah Kahan, Lorde and Kenny Chesney. Will any of those other big acts follow Roan’s lead?
Below, we’ve rounded up every Wasserman artist who has spoken out on the issue. We’ll continue updating the list as more of them make their feelings known.
Chappell Roan
On Monday (Feb. 9), Roan posted to Instagram that she had parted ways with the agency, stating, “I hold my teams to the highest standards and have 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. I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists and I refuse to passively stand by. Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity. This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
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Orville Peck
Peck announced his exit from the agency via Instagram on Tuesday (Feb. 10), writing, “In light of the recent findings regarding Casey Wasserman, I have made the decision to no longer be represented by the Wasserman talent agency.”
“My heartfelt thanks goes out to my personal team, some of whom I have respected, trusted and worked with for close to a decade. I leave with a huge amount of compassion for the rest of the agents and staff at the agency, who are being left with a situation that impacts all of our work and livelihoods.”
Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast)
On Thursday (Feb. 5), Cosentino, the frontwoman of indie pop duo Best Coast, took to Instagram to call for Wasserman to step down and for the agency to change its name. She also demanded the removal of her band’s name from the company’s website.
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“As an artist represented by Wasserman, I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation,” Cosentino wrote in part. “Staying quiet isn’t something I can do in good conscience — especially in a moment when men in power are so often protected, excused, or allowed to move on without consequence. Pretending this isn’t a big deal is not an option for me.”
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Dropkick Murphys
The long-running Irish-American band revealed via Instagram Stories that it had left the agency in light of the new revelations, writing in part, “It saddens us to part ways with [our agents], but the namesake of the agency is in the Epstein files so…we GONE.”
Rachel Brown (Water From Your Eyes)
Brown, vocalist of the indie duo, slammed Wasserman’s apology in an Instagram post, writing that his “‘deepest regrets’ and PR apologies mean nothing in the wake of violence against women and children caused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their accomplices. There must be accountability for the atrocities committed by the ruling class. We cannot live in a world that allows for this injustice to occur with no consequence.
Brown added that she, her bandmate Nick Amos and their manager “have no interest in being affiliated with Casey Wasserman and have absolutely zero intention of condoning his actions by silently remaining under his namesake banner. We trust our booking agents and are waiting to understand what our options are.”
Wednesday
Taking to Instagram, the acclaimed rock band said it had started “the process of extracting ourselves from” the Wasserman agency in light of the revelations. “Continuing to be represented by a company led by and named after Casey Wasserman goes against our values and cannot continue,” the statement continued. For the sake of his staff we hope that he steps down from the company and it is rebranded, but until that happens or we find a new home at a new agency we will not continue to be associated with Wasserman.”
Beach Bunny
On Monday (Feb. 9), the rock band released a statement on Instagram, writing that its members were “hugely disappointed and disgusted” to learn of Wasserman’s association with Maxwell, adding that his “actions are abhorrent and disturbing on every level” and that he must “remove himself and his name from the agency.”
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Alexis Krauss (Sleigh Bells)
In a long and wide-ranging Instagram post on Monday (Feb. 9), Alexis Krauss, one-half of the duo Sleigh Bells, said that while she would “love to just leave Wasserman Music” over the revelations, she and her bandmate Derek E. Miller would not “because I love and respect our agent and I trust him to make the decision that is best for himself, his family and his artists. The agents at Wasserman are not the villains.”
Krauss added, “In my opinion it’s not the responsibility of the artists, especially those struggling to make a living, to fix these broken systems. I’m not saying we’re powerless, but without systemic change and accountability for those at the highest levels of power, no meaningful change is going to occur. … None of these corporations are going to bat an eye if Sleigh Bells bails on them. It’ll just leave us losing more money on tour and making less streaming income than we do now. It’s a s–tty place to be but it’s the truth. What we need is greater regulation and accountability at the highest levels of the industry.”
Sylvan Esso
The pop duo, composed of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn, announced that it had left the agency following the revelations about Wasserman, writing that they are “so reprehensible that we can no longer allow our work to have any association with him or his name. We have been with our amazing agent for our entire career (since way before Wasserman acquired their former company in 2021), but she is just one of hundreds of brilliant agents, assistants, and other employees whose lives have been completely upended by both his behavior and his inability to be accountable of this actions. We don’t know yet where we’ll be next, but it will not be anywhere he is.”
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Gigi Perez
On Tuesday (Feb. 10), Perez announced via Instagram Stories that she would depart the agency over the Casey Wasserman revelations.
“In light of the deeply disturbing news that has come to life regarding Casey Wasserman, I will no longer be represented by the agency,” she wrote. “It is devastating to witness how power in this industry is so often protected from accountability for choices that cause irreversible harm, and I will not tolerate it.
“I want to be clear that there are many good and trustworthy people at Wasserman whose lives and livelihoods have been collaterally impacted by this. I know many within the organization are equally enraged and devastated by what has come to light.
“I am currently working closely with my team as we take the proper next steps to appropriately restructure moving forward.”
Later in her statement, Perez added a note of support for the agency’s staff, writing that they “deserve the space to determine how they move through this transition with my support. One man’s actions should not define or dismantle the futures of so many honest and dedicated individuals. I genuinely hope they are able to reach a resolution that allows them to move forward without him and rebuild what they’ve worked so hard to create.”
