In February, leading sports agent Casey Wasserman’s name surfaced repeatedly in the federal government’s release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files, which showed the entertainment executive had a personal relationship with known Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and exchanged a slew of risqué emails with her. Shortly after, the fallout began. Numerous artists took to social media to call for Wasserman to separate himself from his namesake Wasserman Agency, or they would seek representation elsewhere. Later that week, Wasserman the executive announced he was stepping down from his role as CEO of Wasserman the company and selling his shares in the enterprise — with Providence Equity Partners, the investment firm that held a majority stake in Wasserman, purchasing Wasserman’s shares.
Now, the agency — newly rebranded as THE•TEAM, with its existing leadership including the music department’s co-presidents, Lee Anderson and Kevin Shivers, otherwise still in place — is forging ahead. And despite fears that many artists would leave, its artist roster remains largely intact.
Related
Wasserman Fallout: Every Artist Who Has Spoken Out Over Founder’s Epstein Ties (UPDATING)
Billboard to Add Smart Media Albums As Chart-Eligible Sales Formats
Duane 'Keffe D' Davis Gives First Interview After Tupac Shakur Murder Conviction
“With the recent changes at the company, I’ve decided to continue working directly with my agent of 10 years, with whom I have a longstanding and trusted relationship,” THE•TEAM artist bbno$ tells Billboard, a sentiment shared by several artists’ teams who spoke with Billboard on condition of anonymity. “For now, I’m comfortable keeping that relationship directly with my agent and will make any decisions about my broader representation as things become clearer.”
That feeling was also stressed by some after the news first broke. Back in February, Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino stated she was looking to see how things progressed before making any major decisions, emphasizing her loyalty to her booking agent. “I have worked with my agent, Sam Hunt, for over 15 years who has done incredible work in representing me,” Cosentino wrote on Instagram at the time. “I am in the Sam Hunt business.”
That reasoning reflects a longstanding reality in the concert business: Artists are loyal to their individual agents, who work with larger agencies to provide their clients with more access and resources — from cross-department collaboration to brand deals to marketing assets. Several artist teams who spoke with Billboard echoed Cosentino’s and bbno$’ statements, saying they had no intention of parting with their agent due to the actions of a parent company’s CEO. Several artist teams also tell Billboard that it is common to follow their agent from company to company, and they would do so if their agent had left.
That scale is reflected in the backing that the company has received since Wasserman stepped aside. On July 28, majority shareholder Providence Equity Partners confirmed it was assuming ownership of the booking agency and all its assets — including Wasserman Sports, the Montag Group, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and the Brands & Properties division — in an internal memo shared with staff that was obtained by Billboard. The company’s valuation is reported to be $3.4 billion for all of its assets, according to Puck.
Related
Casey Wasserman’s Name Appears In the Epstein Files. What’s Next For His Namesake Agency?
In the wake of Wasserman’s departure and Providence Equity Partners moving forward with the sale, a current artist roster obtained by Billboard shows that the vast majority of artists chose to remain. Of the artists Billboard previously reported as having spoken out, only Orville Peck, Dropkick Murphys, Sylvan Esso and Dispatch chose to seek representation elsewhere.
Now, the agency has much to look forward to with its remaining clients. Chappell Roan, who was one of the most vocal stars about Wasserman’s involvement in the files, recently created buzz with her performance at Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chains Festival, and is paving a clear path toward headlining arenas. John Summit also has a big year ahead with an arena tour scheduled to kick off Oct. 1 in Champaign, Ill., with stops in Boston, Austin, Miami, Chicago and more. His Experts Only festival also returns to New York City’s Randall’s Island on Sept. 19 and 20. Levity and Tape B recently wrapped up a co-headline amphitheater tour, while Gigi Perez just joined Noah Kahan on the Great Divide Tour and will join him at his Out of the Blue festival in Riviera Cancún, Mexico, from Jan. 7 to 10.
Reps for THE•TEAM declined to comment for this story. A source close to the situation says business continues as usual.