Wasserman For Sale! LA28 Boss Selling Agency To Focus On Olympics Amidst Epstein Fallout; “I Believe That I Have Become A Distraction”
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A besiegedCasey Wasserman is putting his entire talent and marketing agency on the auction block as the fallout from revelations of his relationships withJeffrey Epstein andGhislaine Maxwell continue to batter theLA28 chair.
“This organization, its leadership and the entire team mean the world to me,” Wasserman said in a memo to staff today two weeks after his carnal 2003 correspondence withpresently incarcerated sex offender Maxwell became public. “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 Wasserman apologized again Friday and sought to reframe his move as being to serve the City of Angel’s Olympic goals even more.
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The truth is a little different.
The facts are that in the past 48 hours, big bands like Phish have been kicking the tires of seeking new representation. Add to that, execs at the Brad Pitt-representing Brillstein Entertainment Partners have openly discussed a pathway out too as Wasserman’s flurry of connections with the very well-connected and now toxic Epstein became public and the backlash intensified.
Read 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 of his ability to run his companies in the Epstein Files aftermath, echoing terms used by clients and L.A. politicians over the past two weeks since the massive document dump byDonald Trump‘s DOJ. “That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.”
Wasserman has receivedthe ongoing support of IOC brassearlier this month and then the unanimous backing of his handpicked Los Angeles Olympics board on February 11. Yet, he and his Wasserman company have also seen superstars likeChappell Roan and soccer legend Abby Wambachexit over concerns about “moral values” for his association with the now dead pedophile and his 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 purchase parts of the Providence Equity Partners-back Wasserman group themselves.
Soon to likely to be in pieces like a Tinseltown version of Alexander the Great’s empire after his death, Wasserman’s 2002-formed company took a giant leap up in 2021 with the acquisition of the Paradigm Talent Agency. As Wasserman devoted more and more time to the successful L.A. Olympic bid that he had spearheaded, the rapid growth of his business was rocket fueled by the 2023 buy of management heavyweightsBrillstein Entertainment Partners.
All of that, plus the music, sports and branding units are on the table for the highest or fastest bidder to scoop up. As Wasserman himself and others whoop it up atNBA All-Star Weekend events ahead of Sunday’s big game(s) at the Intuit Dome, smartphones all over the 310, 213, 818 and 323 area codes region must be lighting up with a combo of “WTF?” and “Are you interested?”
Subject to bad timing, bad judgement and more, Wasserman has proven more collateral damage to himself and his companies in a scandal of financier Epstein and a perverted elite. A scandal upon scandals that has rocked governments, media, corporations and the very rich over the abuse and trafficking of young women over decades.
“Hopefully by now you know the facts about my limited interactions with those two individuals,” the grandson of legendary Hollywood chief Lew Wasserman proclaimed of Epstein and Maxwell in his note to employees tonight. “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” might be considered a very circumspect way of putting it.
Sports marketing and talent agency founder Wasserman left supporters and staff blindsided when a collection of seemingly adulterous and compromising emails from over 20 years ago between himself and press baron offspring Maxwell emerged on January 30 among the millions of heavily-redacted pages and images on Epstein. Less than 24 hours after the DOJ document dump, 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 deceased Epstein and Maxwell.
Today’s memo reiterates much of that sentiment, and may not be the last shoe to drop.
Currently estimated at costing just over $7 billion and growing, the 2028 Summer Olympics in the City of Angels will take place from July 14-30 two years from now.
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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- Flyover Fred
Everyone who traveled with or hung out with Epstein knew what he was, and in my opinion, these people should be shunned by the rest of us, regardless of their political affiliation — the Epstein scandal transcends politics and that’s why people from all across the political spectrum are condemning all who associated with this monster.
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