Casey Wasserman Drops Out From Telemundo Playmakers Event in Wake of Epstein File Revelations
Casey Wasserman has dropped out of Telemundo’s Playmakers event scheduled for this week in Los Angeles amid the growing fallout over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, TheWrap has learned.
A spokesperson for Telemundo shared on Tuesday, “We were informed by his office that unfortunately he’s no longer available to join us at The Playmakers event.”
Wasserman, chief executive of sports and talent agency Wasserman and chair and president of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics organizing committee, had been set to headline the event on Thursday. The program is billed as an evening of conversation with sports industry leaders and listed Wasserman as appearing alongside former NFL star and current analyst Tony Gonzalez.
An updated invitation sent Tuesday by Telemundo’s events team did not list Wasserman, while Gonzalez is now listed as headliner. The revised lineup also includes photographer and Cura Lita founder Carlos Eric Lopez, WME basketball agent Stephanie Mejia and Los Angeles Football Club chief brand officer Rich Orosco. The event is scheduled to take place on the Universal Studios lot.
Representatives for Wasserman did not immediately respond to requests for comment from TheWrap.
Wasserman’s exit comes amid renewed scrutiny over his past association with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiring with convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Suggestive emails between Wasserman and Maxwell from more than two decades ago became public last month following the release of court records by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Wasserman issued a public apology, saying he was “terribly sorry” for having had any association with Maxwell. He has said the correspondence predated her criminal conduct becoming widely known.
The controversy has prompted backlash from artists represented by Wasserman’s firm. Chappell Roan and the band Dropkick Murphys severed their relationships with the company, while Bethany Cosentino, the frontwoman of rock duo Best Coast, publicly criticized Wasserman’s ties to Maxwell.
Wasserman significantly expanded its music business in 2020 with the acquisition of Paradigm’s North American live music division and represents a roster that includes Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Kacey Musgraves, Lorde and Pharrell Williams.
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