By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Pop star Chappell Roan said on Monday she was no longer represented by the talent agency led by Los Angeles 2028 Olympics chief Casey Wasserman, who has faced criticism for flirtatious email exchanges with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell more than 20 years ago.
Wasserman has apologized for communicating with Maxwell, after the publication of a series of personal emails between the two.
New files related to late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell’s former boyfriend, published by the U.S. Justice Department late last month, included flirtatious email exchanges between Wasserman, who was married at the time, and Maxwell dating from 2003.
“As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman,” Roan said on Instagram.
“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.”
Wasserman, who is a sports and entertainment executive, has denied having a personal or business relationship with Epstein. In his apology for his association with Maxwell, he said that relation came before her or Epstein’s crimes were revealed.
The talent agency had no immediate comment on Monday.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty in 2021 by a jury in New York on charges including sex trafficking of a minor.
Maxwell was arrested in 2020 after being accused by federal prosecutors of recruiting and grooming girls for sexual encounters with Epstein between 1994 and 2004.
The U.S. Justice Department’s release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender’s ties to many prominent people – both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl. His 2019 death in a Manhattan jail cell was ruled a suicide.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Michael Perry)
