Weyes Blood, Orville Peck and Chelsea Cutler are among the latest names to leave Wasserman following recent controversy surrounding the talent agency.
Casey Wasserman, the founder and CEO of the agency, has faced backlash for his email correspondence with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell over 20 years ago.
Earlier this month, Wasserman said he “deeply regrets” emails from 2003 between him and Maxwell, claiming that they were sent “long before her horrific crimes came to light”.
The messages had featured in the latest government files on the late child sex offender and human trafficker Jeffrey Epstein (via The Guardian).
Following the news, several artists have announced that they’re cutting ties with the agency, including Chappell Roan, Water From Your Eyes, Wednesday, Beach Bunny, Dropkick Murphys, Gigi Perez, Lily Seabird and Sylvan Esso. And now, they’ve been joined by Weyes Blood, Peck, Cutler, Bully and Local Natives.
Weyes Blood, real name Natalie Mering, posted on her Instagram Stories that while she has “immense respect and affection for my booking agents,” she “will not be remaining with Wasserman”. She added: “Casey Wasserman’s behaviour is fundamentally at odds with everything I value.”
Peck, real name Daniel Pitout, echoed her sentiments on his own Instagram page, giving “heartfelt thanks” to his team, and offering compassion to agents and staff at Wasserman but stating: “In light of the recent findings regarding Casey Wasserman, I have made the decision to no longer be represented by the Wasserman talent agency.”
Cutler, meanwhile, wrote on Instagram, “In a time where many of us feel particularly angry, helpless, and exhausted by our country’s climate, it simply feels incongruent with my values to not speak up or take action,” finishing: “For that reason, as of today, I will no longer be represented by the Wasserman Agency.”
Bully’s Alicia Bognanno also confirmed that she had left the agency, writing, “Fuck Casey Wasserman. There’s no money in the world that would keep me at a place that that man owns.”
While thanking their booking agent, Local Natives wrote: “We are leaving the Wasserman agency amid the surfaced allegations against the company’s CEO.”
Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino recently urged Casey Wasserman to step down while requesting the removal of the band’s name from the company’s website. And Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss said that she’d “love” to leave Wasserman over the news but explained that the duo can’t afford to stop working with large companies like it.
Wasserman has also faced calls to step down as chairman of the organising committee for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and LA councilwoman Monica Rodriguez has condemned organisers for “doubling down in defence” for him (via The Wrap).
“The people of Los Angeles deserve leadership that understands the gravity of these revelations,” she said. “At a moment when public trust is already shaken, doubling down with defensiveness only deepens the concern Angelenos have about accountability at LA28.”