Pop star Chappell Roan announced on Monday that she has ended her professional relationship with the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman, citing alignment of values and concerns over safety and dignity for artists.
In an Instagram post, Roan said her decision to leave the agency was driven by a belief that the industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust. Her statement underscored a demand for representation that reflects an artist's values and prioritizes their safety.
"As of today, I am no longer represented by Wasserman, the talent agency led by Casey Wasserman," Roan wrote 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."
The move follows renewed attention to email exchanges between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell that were published by federal authorities. Files released by the U.S. Justice Department late last month, tied to the records of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, included flirtatious messages exchanged between Wasserman - who was married at the time - and Maxwell dated to 2003.
Wasserman has publicly apologized for communicating with Maxwell after those emails were made public. He has denied having a personal or business relationship with Epstein and said that any relation with Maxwell occurred before crimes by Maxwell or Epstein were revealed.
The talent agency did not issue an immediate comment on Monday regarding Roan's announcement.
The broader legal context for the disclosure of those emails stems from long-running investigations into Epstein and his network. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after a 2021 jury conviction in New York on charges that included sex trafficking of a minor.
Maxwell was arrested in 2020 after federal prosecutors accused her of recruiting and grooming girls for sexual encounters with Epstein between 1994 and 2004. The Justice Department's release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has revealed ties between the late financier and numerous prominent individuals, spanning periods before and after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea to prostitution-related charges, which included soliciting an underage girl. Epstein's death in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 was ruled a suicide.
Roan's public break with the agency reflects a reaction by an artist to revelations emerging from the Justice Department's document releases and the subsequent scrutiny of those associated, directly or indirectly, with Maxwell and Epstein.
At the time of Roan's announcement, the talent agency led by Wasserman had not responded publicly to requests for comment. Wasserman's statements acknowledging his communications with Maxwell and his denial of a relationship with Epstein remain central to the developing public discussion.