Chapelle Roan Exits Casey Wasserman's Agency As Backlash Grows Over Ghislaine Maxwell Ties
Topline
Singer Chapelle Roan announced Monday she is cutting ties with the Wasserman talent agency over founder and CEO Casey Wasserman’s links to Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell and other artists may follow suit, as a group of music agents have reportedly demanded that Wasserman must step down from the company.
Several music agents are demanding that Casey Wasserman step down as Wasserman agency’s CEO and divest the company’s music division.
Getty Images
Key Facts
In an Instagram Stories post, Roan wrote that she was no longer represented by Wasserman, noting, “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,” the Grammy-winning singer wrote.
Roan said she respects agents and staff “who work tirelessly for their artists” and she is refusing to “passively stand by” as artists “deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity.”
Roan’s post did not directly mention Wasserman’s ties to Maxwell or calls for his resignation, but The Wrap reported that a group of music agents at the Wasserman agency are demanding that the CEO step down.
According to the Wrap, the agents calling for Wasserman’s resignation include Duffy McSwiggin—who represents Joni Mitchell and others—and Marty Diamond—who represents Coldplay and many other acts.
The report was corroborated by Varietywhich noted that agents have given Wasserman an ultimatum to step down and divest from the company, demands which he has declined so far.
What Do We Know About Wasserman’s Ties To Maxwell?
The latest tranche of Epstein-related documents released by the Justice Department revealed multiple email exchanges between Wasserman and Maxwell that suggest he had close ties with the Epstein associate. In an email sent to Maxwell in 2003, Wasserman appears to say “I think of you all the time…so what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?” In another email exchange that year, discussing the weather in California, Maxwell asks whether it is “foggy enough so that you can float naked down the beach and no one can see you unless they are close up?”
