Ghislaine Maxwell testified at the 5th House hearing on Jeffrey Epstein
A convicted co-defendant of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has refused to answer questions from a House committee.
Chappell Lawn announced that he has left CEO Casey Wasserman’s sports and entertainment agency, Wasserman, following the influence of executives mentioned in the latest Jeffrey Epstein filing.
“Artists, agents, and employees should not be expected to defend or overlook conduct that is deeply inconsistent with our own moral values,” the Grammy winner said on his Instagram Story on Monday, February 9. “I have deep respect and gratitude for the agents and staff who work tirelessly on behalf of artists, and I refuse to stand by.”
“Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values,” Roan said, adding that the decision “reflects my belief that meaningful change in the industry requires leadership that is accountable and trusts.”
The agency, founded by Wasserman, 51, counts Adam Sandler, Brad Pitt and Katie Ledecky among its high-profile clients in sports and entertainment. USA TODAY has reached out to Wasserman for a response and to Rohn’s business representatives for further comment.
Other artists also demand Wasserman’s resignation
Roane’s decision came as other artists within the agency either left the agency or asked Wasserman to leave.
Best Coast singer Bethany Cosentino published an open letter on Instagram on February 5th, calling for Wasserman’s resignation, saying, “The position that Casey Wasserman has put his agent in is unacceptable.” The band Beach Bunny posted a statement on social media on January 8, calling Wasserman’s actions “abhorrent and disturbing on every level.”
The band announced their departure from Wasserman in a statement on Wednesday, January 9th.
“Last week, we were among the hundreds of artists stunned to learn of the interactions between Casey Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell exposed in the latest release of The Epstein Files,” a statement on Instagram read. “We find Casey’s attempts to deflect and ignore this situation to be extremely concerning.”
How did Wasserman appear in the Epstein file?
Wasserman acknowledged in a Jan. 31 statement that he exchanged a series of flirtatious and sexually suggestive emails with Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for her role in a scheme with the disgraced financier over a 10-year period to sexually exploit and abuse multiple underage girls.
“I have never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” Wasserman said in a statement. “As has been well-documented, I went on a humanitarian trip on Epstein’s plane as part of a Clinton Foundation delegation in 2002, and I deeply regret having been associated with any of them.”
He has not been charged in the criminal case against Epstein and Maxwell.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, California State Sen. Lena Gonzalez and a trio of City Council members were among those who called on Wasserman to resign as LA28 Olympic Committee chair, the Los Angeles Times reported earlier this month.
“Having him representing us on the world stage will distract our players and distract them from the hard work needed to prepare for 2028,” Hearn told the newspaper.
Contributor: Mark Giannotto, America today. Reuters
