It’s miraculous that no musicians have so far been directly involved or implicated in any of the Epstein revelations. But the same can’t be said for the music industry, and specifically Casey Wasserman.
As much of the music, sports, entertainment, and even political world skirmished over the doings of the Super Bowl Halftime performance, and national news broadcasts have been overtaken on details of the abduction of the mother of NBC news correspondent Savannah Guthrie, perhaps one of the most important and complex revelations and scandals in American history has unfolded. We finally have the release of over 3 million documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and a clearer picture of the corruption at the hands of global elites. It’s almost miraculous that no musicians have so far been directly involved or implicated in any of the revelations. But the same can’t be said for the music industry, and specifically Casey Wasserman, who is the CEO of the Wasserman talent agency. Right behind WME and CAA, Wasserman is one of music’s leading talent booking agencies that represents scores of music artists and bands. In the country music realm, Wasserman represents the likes of Kenny Chesney, Kacey Musgraves, Old Dominion, and LeAnn Rimes. From the more independent country/Americana world, Wasserman also represents Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Margo Price, Sierra Ferrell, Morgan Wade, and more. The agency also used to represent Orville Peck, but on Tuesday, February 10th, Peck became the first defection from the greater country/roots world after revelations about Casey Wasserman emerged in the Epstein Files. Wasserman also represents athletes, actors, entertainers, comedians, and other public personalities. It is important to understand the context of the Casey Wasserman revelations, since simply being mentioned in the Epstein files can inadvertently implicate someone in being involved in underage sex trafficking. For Casey Wasserman, it’s actually the implication of a sexual affair with Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell that has set off a firestorm, and resulted in high profile defections from the booking agency by musical clients. The January 30th release of documents from the Epstein Files revealed that Casey Wasserman had sent dozens of sexually charged and flirtatious emails to Ghislaine Maxwell in 2003. Wasserman started his talent agency in 1998. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in Texas for sex trafficking.In one message, Ghislaine Maxwell said she “thought of [Wasserman] at inappropriate moments,” to which Wasserman answered “I think of you all the time… So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit? I am in NY tonight, youre not, what am I to do? Xoxo cw.” Wasserman was married to his then wife Laura at the time of the exchanges. In a statement, Wasserman said, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light.” He went on to say he “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”Along with running the Wasserman talent agency, Casey Wasserman also happens to be the chairman of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, creating a scandal in the sports world as well. Bethany Cosentino of the indie rock band Best Coast was the first to decide to speak out about Casey Wasserman and leave the agency. “We are tired of learning, over and over, that men who control access, resources, money and so-called safety in our industry are given endless grace,” Cosentino said. “We are tired of being asked to treat proximity to something horrific as an unfortunate situation we should simply move past — especially when the person involved still holds all the power. This letter is my public refusal to accept that this is ‘just how things are.” The Dropkick Murphys subsequently left the agency, saying, “It saddens us to part ways with [our agents], but the namesake of the agency is in the Epstein files so…we GONE.” Wednesday is an indie rock band with country ties who also left, saying, “Continuing to be represented by a company led by and named after Casey Wasserman goes against our values and cannot continue.”
Other clients that have left or spoken out about the agency include Beach Bunny, Alexis Krauss of Sleigh Bells, Sylvan Esso, and Gigi Perez. On Monday (2-9), the agency arguably lost its biggest fish over the scandal when Chappell Roan left the agency. Roan said, “I hold my teams to the highest standards and have 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.”Strangely, the musical defections from the Wasserman agency are one of the few fallouts from many of the revelations in the Epstein Files. While The U.K. and other world governments are going to major scandals tied to officials mentioned in the files, the United States seems to be distracted over culture war issues of nominal consequence like the competing Bad Bunny / Kid Rock Super Bowl halftime presentations, and celebrity news like the Savannah Guthrie family abduction. However, it feels important to underscore that the revelations about Casey Wasserman are about the pursuit of an extramarital affair with Ghislaine Maxwell as opposed to Epstein dealings directly, at least at this time. Wasserman did work with the Clinton Foundation, which has regularly fielded accusations of corruption itself, and Epstein was involved in as well. But “mentioned in the Epstein files” has become shorthand for implicating individuals, when sometimes that’s all it is: a mention. Meanwhile, there are individuals within the music industry, including artists, accused of much more heinous activity that continue to be insulated from repercussions, like Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast points out. Saving Country Music has continued to report on the case of country music manager and publicist Kirt Webster, who has been accused by over 20 individuals of rape, sexual harassment, and other serious charges. Nonetheless, he’s able to work out in the open, including recently promoting a ’90s Country tribute show with scores of artists signing up to participate. Artists Diplo, Nelly, and Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys have all been accused by three or more women each of rape and sexual assault, yet continue to be booked at major country music festivals and events without fellow artists threatening to pull out of events due to their participation. What the revelations about Casey Wasserman do expose is that the music industry is not entirely immune from the effects of the Jeffrey Epstein orbit. Wasserman’s involvement with Epstein through the Clinton Foundation, Ghislaine Maxwell, or otherwise should continue to be investigated and probed to make sure it doesn’t go any farther than some raunchy messages. It was the sexual revelations in 2017, and major defections from the agency from people like Dolly Parton and Kid Rock that brought the powerful Webster Public Relations down, run by Kirt Webster. Time will tell if the loss of artists will bring down Wasserman as well. If it does, it would cause major reverberations throughout the music industry. – – – – – – – – – If you found this article valuable, consider leaving Saving Country Music A TIP.
Bethany Cosentin, Casey Wasserman, Chappell Roan, Diplo, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Kirt Webster, Nelly, Nick Carter, Orville Peck, The Dropkick Murphys, The Epstein Files, Wasserman, Wednesday
Dude, why are we starting this thread off like this? Now this is going to be a strictly political discussion, I’m going to have to intermittently shut the comments section down, and everyone’s going to be pissed off. I’d much rather hear your thoughts on this from a music/music industry perspective.
Please please please give us a thumbs down button for hiding comments like this! 99% of us don’t want the political discussion here, just music. If comments like this got downvoted into oblivion, we could actually stick to music.
This is not an article about President Trump. I understand that maybe he’s an actor in the background here, but it was not relevant to bring him up in the first comment that does nothing to stimulate actual conversation, when we should be discussing the very real implications of the revelations about Casey Wasserman in the Epstein Files. Now you have reams of comments to start this comments section off, including people complaining about comment censorship as opposed to talking about the issue that was broached in the article. This is what everyone wants? A comments section arguing about the comments? Now we all lose.
Go to Whiskey Riff, Rolling Stone, Billboard, etc. and try to leave a comment over there. Then come preach to me some more about censorship. Best of luck to you.
“This is not an article about President Trump. I understand that maybe he’s an actor in the background here, …”
Seek help. If you think this article is about Trump, and my article about Jelly Roll was about Morgan Wallen, you’re suffering from a mental illness. You should also be thanking me for all the comments that I’ve been deleting that are an embarrassment to yourself and this website. If you think I’m such an evil, evil person out to tear down your heroes Trump and Morgan Wallen, then by all means, stop supporting me with your clicks.
@ Trigger I don’t know where this will show up in the comments but I am replying to show my support of your response to Di Harris who I have come to realize is…well, board decorum prohibits listing them here.
But while I am here, can you really justify writing this column? Personally I believe the entire Epstein thing is likely one of the biggest nothingburgers I’ve seen in my 64 years. Oh, I think he was a pig and got what he deserved and that there likely were others who have escaped the ending he had and also deserve it. Nothing would have made me happier than to have seen a picture of Great Orange Leader with his tiny…hands on an underage girl/boy/goat. But there is this annoying thing called proof.
But, yes, Wasserman was the head of a talent/booking agent and as such had relationships with artists. But there is no evidence that had come out that I am aware of that suggests his contact with Epstein occurred when anyone knew what Epstein was doing. How can someone be held responsible for that? It would be like someone holding us responsible for interacting with Di Harris when the truth eventually comes out. I have my suspicions, but no proof. Yet.
Love the site, even the stuff that is questionable. But I don’t see the reason for this one. Just my opinion. Now, over to read the post about Zach Bryan and Brantley Gilbert.
So remove all the Epstein stuff out of the equation for a second. Just as a music story, if you have a situation where now a dozen or so artists have left one of the largest booking agencies in music—including artists I’ve covered here, along with being the same agency for artists like Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, Sierra Ferrell etc., to me that’s very newsworthy in itself. If Wasserman implodes, which is definitely a possibility, that is going to cause major reverberative effects on a lot of the artists we care about around here.
I made very very sure in this article to mention that Casey Wasserman has so far not even been accused of any illegal or even inappropriate behavior aside from sending some racy emails. This is part of the reason I wanted to post this story, because as everyone was reporting on how he was “in the Epstein files,” the context is really important in this situation.
I personally don’t think the Epstein Files are a nothing burger at all. I think the revelations on Jeffrey Epstein when they come out in full could perhaps be one of the most consequential things in United States history. I do think there is a network of elites that used sex trafficking as a way to blackmail individuals, and that it ran through the halls of power at government, finance, higher education, and business. But I also understand that the picture on this continues to remain obtuse, so I understand some people’s reticence, or at least, wait and see attitude.
right, lets stick to music, on that point trigger your a good fella , review my you tube channel tell me how you like it james b lincoln lll is the channel name two songs on their many more to come…
Nothing. You’re seeing the Dennis Reynolds post, aren’t you? And what you’re not seeing is the glaringly antisemetic post I already deleted.
Trigger is a censor. He curates posts to make it appear that he always gets last word. He would get hammered in any truly open debate.
The derangement on display does nobody a service. Kyle has every right to nip this in the bud. Go to the HuffPo if you want to TDS all over the place.
Trigger, as you asked and because I like you I’ll answer. I believe my post was relevant to the story. With these artists leaving we have now seen more real world consequences for Wasserman’s inclusion in the files than we have for the far more disturbing and numerous ones involving your President. Does that not seem ludicrous?
Dennis Reynolds lost all credibility right off the bat when he called Trump “Your” President. Reynolds may not like the president, and he may pout in the corner with his hands over your ears yelling no, but he’s still the president of every citizen of the country. Just like President Biden was, and every president before him was.
I agree that these files so far have been pretty much a nothing burger. I figured it would be. Our government is to politicized to hold back any damming information about the other party if they had it.
But no one wants to be associated with the files in any way shape or form, so more and more artists may drop from Wasserman’s portfolio
I called him ‘your president’ because Trigger is American and therefore he is his president. I am British, therefore he is not mine. I hope that clarifies things for you and may stop you jumping to incorrect conclusions in the future.
Trig, I love you man, and I slightly agree with you but Trump and Epstein are laurel and hardy brother, you can’t have one without the other in the discussion at this point.
So while your want to have a higher conversation in this aspect is admirable I think it’s naive to post anything about Epstein right now and not have Trump brought up. It’s just gonna happen.
I don’t have any problem bringing up Trump in the context of the Epstein Files, because obviously he plays a role in all of this, not just by being mentioned, but his Administration’s handling of the documents.
The first comment of any comments section obviously starts the conversation. The comment in question was more of a sarcastic observation than it was a constructive talking point, made extra provocative by saying “your President.” And it’s not that I don’t want left-leaning voices represented here or something. You know this is going to immediately stimulate right-leaning reactions, and then you have a 22-post thread like we have here to start off the discussion that has nothing to do with the topic at hand. This then inadvertently censors other commenters who may want to speak on the actual subject that’s meant to be discussed, and also discourages people from commenting at all, ever, or even to even read this website.
The problem is that you have a certain cohort of commenters here who spend all day arguing politics on social media and online, then they blow in here and are incapable of reclabrating their brains to the forum. EVERYONE needs to tell themselves before commenting, “This is a music website, not a political one.” And I don’t want to hear about “Yeah but Trig, you keep talking about political subjects.” Go to Whiskey Riff and Rolling Stone. Their content is WAY more political than mine. It’s been a raucous moment lately where music and politics have entwined. But this is still a country music website, and folks need to respect that.
It’s already known that Jimmy Buffett and Mick Jaggard were pictured with Epstein on the island. The reason more famous musicians aren’t implicated is because they already have the access to sex that these dumpy loser rich elites didn’t have. Epstein was selling this rock star experience and the allure of young women desiring them to sexually irrelevant elites like Noam Chomsky. (And no I’m not avoiding mentioning Trump here I am trying to stick to the point)
Interesting point–Reading this article, I was thinking, “It’s a good thing for musicians that Epstein preferred the company of scientists and academics to that of musicians,” but you may be right on here.
Musicians have historically gotten what Epstein was providing for rich elites. Virtually ever major classic rock band was “involved” with underrage women and groupies. My comment was not to say musicians have been more moral, but that those who wanted any degree of depravity could get it on their own. It wasn’t just in the Rock genre – although the classic rock genre documented it better.
Sexual abuse of chilrdren is not sex, it’s sadism. please for the love of God stop talking about it as if it’s a normal/desirable/”just something men want” experience.
There are FIVE YEAR OLDS in the Epstein Files. There is a description of a group of men gang-raping a FIVE YEAR OLD. there are emails that mention 2-8 year olds.
The sexual abuse of young children (and what looks like torture and murder now) is absolutely in the Epstein files and that is one horrific aspect of the crimes that were committed. However the point of the article is why aren’t musicians in the files. That is the point I am responding to. Also not every person who was drawn into Epstein’s orb was going after underaged women. There are all degrees of depravity in the files. My responding to one specific degree is not ignoring the others.
I’m talking about the larger point you were making about how some men didn’t rape girls in Epstein’s orbit because they were musicians and thus had ‘had enough access to sex’. The rapes that took place under Epstein’s cabal and every other kind of rape is not a matter of sex, it’s a form of violence and sadism and is not caused by the perpetrator’s normal sex life or lack thereof.
For the record, the point of the article is not why musicians aren’t in the files. The point of the article is that Casey Wasserman is, and the fallout that has ensued from that.
You said “It’s almost miraculous that no musicians have so far been directly involved or implicated in any of the revelations.” I was giving my opinion as to why that might be.
I can see that you’re fifteen years old
No, I don’t want your I.D
And I can see that you’re so far from home, but
That’s no hanging matter
It’s no capital crime
I’m glad you pointed out that it’s about an extramarital affair, rather than illegal things. This is an important distinction. I completely understand that artists may feel too close for comfort, and it’s their right to not do business with him, and I would support any artist who chooses to cut ties because these revelations say a lot about his moral character, and of course, there’s a possibility that there was a lot more than what we’re seeing. However, without any additional evidence to the contrary, he is still innocent until proven guilty as far as criminal activity is concerned, and that’s where I think a lot of people go wrong.
It seems highly unlikely that he would have had contact with Ghislaine if it wasn’t in pursuit of other things – considering who she was and what she did for Epstein. You’re right he’s still innocent until proven guilty but without a full release of contact between Epstein and those who engaged in criminal behaviour (which will never be released) there won’t be any justice on the issue unless some people start facing consequences – even if it’s public humiliation and being forced to resign. I realize that violates our justice system but when it involves a criminal network that is above our justice system I don’t fully know how you fix that.
That’s true… But I think it’s pretty clear at this point that Epstein wasn’t just some random pervert. He and Maxwell, daughter of an Israeli spy, seem to have built their entire lives around buying and selling influence and blackmail. To the politicians currently in power, the wealthy, and apparently the chair of the 2028 Olympics. I don’t claim to understand all of it and maybe we never will. But association with either of them is absolutely compromising even if it doesn’t amount to proof of a crime.
Epstein and Maxwell were essentially the concierge for whatever the blackmail operation was. They were selected to be the face of it. The money and resources came outside of what Epstein was earning on his own. (I still believe the operation is there it’s just changing hands and reopening somewhere else)
The first person in entertainment suffering real damages in this whole ordeal is the one trying to bang a grown woman?
Okay first- id never heard of Beach Bunny until today, but im all for putting them out on the half time stage tomorrow and we can run all this years controversy back again.
More seriously, were at a stage with these allegations where I can see bands reasons for leaving Wasserman and bands reasons for holding for now. Despite congressional mandate and court order were still not even half way through th release of the epstein files, so who knows whats coming next.
Interestingly to me (and something I know little about) was a post about this that Jason Isbell made on his IG the other day, which is smaller, mid-level, and emerging acts could not leave if they wanted to because they risk not getting picked up by another agent if they do. Not sure how much of an issue that is in reality.
How is it that we had all of the “me to” stuff in 2017 and Cosby and Weinstein and others got nailed but this Kirt Webster guy is still running around, not in jail and basically suffering no repercussions? (the same question for Nelly and Diplo and Nick Carter) We are clearly failing the victims here. This is a good reminder to call your state elected officials and ask them to raise the statute of limitations on sexual assault crimes!
The law doesn’t apply to him because, homophobia, love is love, trans rights are human rights, etc etc.
It has nothing to do with him being homosexual. It has to due with the statute of limitations for sex laws in Tennessee.
Incidentally, Webster does appear to be gay, but he’s also extremely chummy with the current administration, and was instrumental in the “Trump Bible” as well as getting Lee Greewood (one of his clients) installed at the Kennedy Center.
The other reason Kirt Webster is still able to operate with impunity is because he’s using Nancy Jones (George Jones widow) as a proxy.
Hey the Kennedy Center! Been waiting for a country artist to drop out there (since I dont think you write about Bela Fleck) so we can get an article on that debacle too
Get the fuck out of here with your bigotry. There has also been a shit ton of cover up for straight rapists & child molesters and an awful lot of exposure of gay rapists & child molesters. The cover up or not isn’t about sexuality, it’s about power. If the truth about a rapist/child molester is painful for people in power or they are the one with power, it gets buried. See, for instance, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Larry Nassar, who all got cover up for years and years and years because they had power or their exposure would hurt people in power. And since your bigotry is highly likely to be based in religion, let’s not forget all of those pastors & priests.
Pedophilia has been a problem in Hollywood forever and there has been people from Corey Feldman through the producers of “Quiet on the Set” who have tried to shine a light on it.
If any guilty party is brought to justice by the release of these files, we are all the better for it.
That said; hedonistic lifestyles are synonymous with the society’s elites, ever since we formed societies. One rule for them, another rule for the rest of us.
Anyone shocked by these “revelations”, must’ve lived alone in a cave for the better part of their lives.
It’s so frustrating how the same media figures that actively ran the fake news campaign against “Pizzagate” likely knew or were involved with Epstein. Pizzagate was basically what was revealed in the Podesta leaked emails on Wikileaks. There was a time where people who were involved with that Comet pizza shop still had their instagram account up and not set to private and I went thru their publicly posted photos and comments and it was super fucking creepy and weird and had children invovled in some weird ass satantic aesthetic “art” nonsense – the same kind of shit Epstein, Podesta, and other elites had on their walls. And when you see the images of major celebrities with the same creepy artwork and clothes, and going to the same weird occult “spirit cooking” events it further confirms that there is something outright satanic going on at the tippy top of our culture.
Get help? Ok buddy you’re 10 years late to the whole “elites are trafficking children” debate and you want to be self righteous because you believe the media’s cover for the Podesta email leaks.
Crazy person, did you learn nothing from the guy who went to comet pizza with guns to free the children from the basement only to find that it has no basement? It’s a family pizza place in a neighborhood of DC that has a lot of crunchy granola artsy people. They host kids parties on the regular (or did, I have no idea what the fallout has been), so pics at the restaurant will include kids. The crunchy granola types don’t like the same art as you and some of it ended up at the pizza place, but that doesn’t make them satanic or child molesters. Get a grip.
Yes he learned absolutely nothing. He regularly comes on here and spouts on deranged conspiracy theories. Comet is in reality a neighborhood bar that wouldnt be out of place on Lower Broadway, in a quiet neighborhood miles away from where any of the people supposedly tied to it even live. As a result it, P&P, Bucks Fishing and Camping, Rosemary Bistro etc have had to deal with the headaches and constant fear that comes from absolutely deranged losers who have never stepped foot near any of these places donning Tin Caps and diving deep into tbe depths of QAnon instead of spending 5 minutes to talk to a therapist about what’s gone wrong in their lives.
Honestly trigger should go to a concert a comet. They are a lot of fun and would shut some of these dangerous posters up on here.
It has been confirmed through the Epstein file releases that “pizza” was very likely commonly used as a pseudonym for child molestation, often paired with “grape soda,” not just in Epstein’s orbit, but in general. John Podesta who had his emails hacked by Wikileaks also used it as a code word—and has some pretty wild artwork in his house. Yes, the Comet Pizza QANON tie-in was wild unrefuted conspiracy. The idea of a major pedophile ring operated by elites is beginning to become more and more an objective reality.
Hebephilia is a sexual preference for children in early adolescence, between ages 11 and 14. The concept is distinct from pedophilia, which is marked by a sexual preference for prepubescent children, rather than those who have finished puberty and entered adolescence. Ephebophilia refers to an attraction for older adolescents around 15 to 18 years old.
And, yes, these things have always been in play. If this fumigates some of the areas of our society, I say amen and hallelujah.
Kirt Webster was just involved with a large event dedicated to 90’s country featuring a couple dozen prominent 90’s Nashville artists. He’s far from gone.
Anyone who was friends with – or affiliated with – Epstein after his 2008 trial is a piece of crap. I don’t care if you had dinner with him or drove your boat with your family to his island for an afternoon visit. You are a piece of crap if you openly affiliated with Epstein after he was convicted in 2008. Full stop.
Wasserman fits this, as does a whole slew of political and business elites. I hope each and every one of them is publicly shamed forever, because this type of behavior is truly unforgivable.
Fair play to the artists leaving his agency since, based on the fact that the LA Olympics board just came out in support of him, it appears that his agency losing artists is going to be the only form of consequences Wasserman faces.
Side note: “Just another excuse to vomit your opinion.“ – DiHarris. I mean, isn’t this Trigger’s website and since he writes the articles, isn’t Trigger “vomiting [his] opinion” exactly why we come to this website? The victim mentality on display from Di, AdamS, Big Jilm, etc is exhausting. Jesus, if I felt like I was being censored all the time or if 95% of my comments were me just shitting on the author’s articles, I’d probably find a new website to spend my time on *shrugs*
To me this Peck person is just bull-jive virtual signaling for fame. Not familiar with this artist Peck, but I’d bet the farm if he was invited to an ‘industry’ party where everyone was blowing their minds with coke, screwing everything with a pulse and being a general hedonist, he’d go along just fine. If I overtly ‘judged’ all that behavior as sinful, Peck would probably call me a closed minded fascist. I’ll take my moral cues from elsewhere, thank you.
The thing about pedophilia is that it’s universally repudiated across ideologies. That’s what makes Jeffry Epstein and his behavior especially revolting and pernicious. Just because some dude is gay (I don’t know if he uses drugs or not, many straight country artists do/did), doesn’t mean he’s okay with diddling kids.
Not to carry his water but this Wasserman guy (from quotes in article as I don’t know all) was not accused of messing with girls, only ladies & Ghislane. Is there evidence Wasserman diddled minors? If so, fire him for diddling minors – hell, hang him high too. But if all Wasserman did was get some holiest of holies from adults through Epstein, I just don’t buy the moral outrage.
Congrats to those who left the Casey Wasserman Agency.Powerful people such as Epstein and Maxwell who abused all manner of folk MUST be held accountable for their crimes.Wasserman may not have been culpable for any misdeeds,but his association with Epstein taints him re. representing entertainment figures.
In Cathy O’Briens book “Trance Formation of America,” which details her life of being sold into sex slavery and the MK Ultra program, she specifically names Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson and Charley Pride as being just a few of the pedophilic monsters that run rampant throughout Hollywood and the music industry. Extremely disappointing. I highly recommend giving it a read.
Well, if Cathy O’Brien says it, what more do we need? Let’s have ol’ Merle, Charley and Kris exhumed and string them up and then torch them.
At their level there are no “Democrats or Republicans”, just people who have money and power, and those who don’t.
Source: savingcountrymusic.com