Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan said Monday she is parting ways with entertainment mogul Casey Wasserman’s talent agency amid growing scrutiny on his ties to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity,” Roan said in a post to her Instagram story Monday. “This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”
Wasserman has said he “deeply regrets” exchanging emails with Maxwell in 2003. The correspondence was published by the Justice Department late last month as part of a cache of new files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell’s ex-boyfriend.
In a statement last week, Wasserman apologized for his communication with Maxwell, “which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.” Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Wasserman has not been accused of wrongdoing or charged in relation to the Maxwell or Epstein cases.
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein,” he added. “As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
Wasserman and his namesake agency did not immediately respond to NBC News’ requests for comment on Roan’s decision.
In recent days, other artists represented by Wasserman called on the agency’s founder to step down over his connections to Maxwell.
Bethany Cosentino, the frontwoman of the Los Angeles rock group Best Coast, wrote on Instagram that she “did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”
“Staying quiet isn’t something I can do in good conscience — especially in a moment when men in power are so often protected, excused, or allowed to move on without consequence,” Cosentino wrote in an open letter. “Pretending this isn’t a big deal is not an option for me.”
The singer-songwriter Ricky Montgomery and the members of the indie pop group Water From Your Eyes criticized Wasserman in posts on Instagram.
“I hope he comes to his senses and steps down,” Montgomery said in part. “Until then, my team and I will be doing everything we can to remove his name from everything I do.”
Wasserman has also faced calls to resign from his post as chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee, though the vice president of the International Olympic Committee said last week she had “full trust” in him.
Los Angeles’ organizing committee did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment Tuesday.
In the emails released by the Justice Department, Wasserman, who was married at the time, expresses interest in seeing Maxwell wear a “tight leather outfit.”
“I think of you all the time,” Wasserman wrote to Maxwell in March 2003.
Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 on federal sex trafficking charges, including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, participation in a sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking of a minor. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Epstein, a wealthy and socially connected financier, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The convicted sex offender’s death was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell, appearing virtually before the House Oversight Committee on Monday, refused to answer any questions. But if President Donald Trump grants her clemency, her lawyer said, she is “prepared to speak fully and honestly.”