Casey Wasserman Faces Calls for Resignation After Ghislaine Maxwell Emails Surface
Casey Wasserman, who serves as the chair of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizing committee and CEO of a talent agency, is facing increased scrutiny and calls for his resignation after emails between him and Ghislaine Maxwell from 2003 were publicly released. The emails surfaced as part of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, prompting apologies from Wasserman and responses from various sports organizations and public officials.
Casey Wasserman is facing increased scrutiny and calls for his resignation after emails between him and Ghislaine Maxwell from 2003 were publicly released.
Background
Casey Wasserman founded his talent agency in 1998, which primarily represents athletes and musicians. His grandfather, Lew Wasserman, was a prominent figure in 20th-century Hollywood. In 2014, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti appointed Wasserman to lead Los Angeles's bid for the Olympics, with the city being awarded the 2028 Games three years later.
Released Email Correspondence
Emails between Casey Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell, dating to 2003, were released by the U.S. Justice Department on January 30 as part of a larger tranche of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents. In these communications, Wasserman wrote to Maxwell, "can we book that massage now" and "The only thing I want from Paris is you." Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring to sexually abuse minors, offered Wasserman a massage during these exchanges. No criminal wrongdoing has been indicated in these specific communications. Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The emails followed a two-week trip in 2002, where Wasserman was among a group including Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, Ron Burkle, Chris Tucker, and "about four women ages 20 to 22," aboard Epstein's Boeing 727 private jet to Africa. Kevin Spacey stated the trip was intended to raise awareness and funds for HIV/AIDS and to meet Nelson Mandela.
Responses and Calls for Resignation
Wasserman has issued an apology, stating he deeply regrets his correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell. He asserted that he had no personal or business relationship with Epstein beyond the single international trip. Since the emails became public, Wasserman has maintained a low profile, though he appeared publicly at an International Olympic Committee (IOC) gathering in Milan to discuss the L.A. Games' progress, declining to respond to reporters' questions.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez has publicly called for Wasserman's immediate resignation.
His continued involvement undermines the values of the city.
L.A. City Controller Kennith Mejia also called for Wasserman to resign, citing concerns about the city's financial future.
Several artists represented by Wasserman's agency, including Bethany Cosentino, Chappell Roan, Wednesday, Orville Peck, and Beach Bunny, have either made public statements or announced their departure. Former USWNT player Abby Wambach has also publicly announced her departure from the agency.
Chappell Roan stated that "No artist, agent, or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values."
The LA28 organizing committee has stated it "takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and our Board is committed to thoroughly reviewing any concerns related to the organization’s leadership." The committee further claimed that outside counsel reviewed Wasserman's associations with Maxwell and Epstein, concluding they "did not go beyond what has already been publicly documented."
Regarding Wasserman's Olympic roles, IOC chair Kirsty Coventry acknowledged repeated questions about the situation but referred to Wasserman's statement, declining to add further comment. Gene Sykes, head of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, similarly referred to Wasserman's statement and expressed continued confidence in Wasserman's leadership and the L.A. 28 bid's operational capabilities.