Chappell Roan leaves talent agency led by Casey Wasserman after emails shown in Epstein files | Ents & Arts News

US singer Chappell Roan has announced she is leaving her talent agency, after emails between its founder and Ghislaine Maxwell were featured in the Epstein files.

The Grammy-winning star shared a statement on social media announcing her departure from Wasserman, led by Casey Wasserman, saying she holds her teams “to the highest standards” and has “a duty to protect them” as well.

“No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values,” she added.

Roan, 27, said she refused to “passively stand by” and that artists “deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity”.

The decision to leave Wasserman “reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust”, she concluded.

Roan did not mention the Epstein files in her statement.

Documents recently released by the US justice department included flirtatious email exchanges between Wasserman, who was married at the time, and Maxwell, from 2003.

Wasserman, who is in charge of organising the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, has since apologised for communicating with Maxwell.

“I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell,” he said, adding it occurred “long before her horrific crimes came to light”.

Read more:
Here’s what we’ve found in the Epstein files
Survivors condemn US govt’s handling of files

Wasserman said he “never had a personal or business relationship” with Jeffrey Epstein but that he did take part in a “humanitarian trip” on his plane.

He added: “I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”

Wasserman’s name appears in the official Epstein documents but no wrongdoing is alleged.

Sky News has contacted the Wasserman agency for comment on Roan’s departure.

Maxwell, 64, is serving a 20-year jail term for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.

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Ghislaine Maxwell ‘invokes right to silence’

Yesterday, she refused to answer questions on the convicted sex offender before the US House Oversight Committee, citing her 5th amendment right to silence under the US constitution.

Her lawyer told reporters Maxwell was “prepared to speak fully and honestly” in return for leniency on her sentence from Donald Trump.

Epstein, who was convicted of sexual offences in 2008, was found dead in his prison cell in New York in August 2019, as he was awaiting trial after being charged with sex trafficking.