US singer leaves talent agency after CEO named in Epstein files

US singer-songwriter Chappell Roan announced on Monday that she had left her talent agency, after its CEO was named in files related to late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), passed overwhelmingly by Congress in November, compelled the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release all of the documents in its possession related to the disgraced financier.

Roan, 27, had been represented by "Wasserman," an agency that boasts a number of high-profile clients, including Adam Sandler and Brad Pitt, and is led by Casey Wasserman, who is also the chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Roan said that "no artist, agent or employee should be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values." 

"I have deep respect and appreciation for the agents and staff who work tirelessly for their artists and I refuse to stand by," she added.

The Grammy winner noted that "artists deserve representation that aligns with their values" and the decision "reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust."

Roan made no mention of Epstein himself or the Epstein files in the statement announcing her departure from the talent agency.

Wasserman in a statement last month acknowledged what appeared to be a series of flirty and sexually suggestive emails he exchanged in 2003 with Ghislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell was sentenced to two decades in prison in 2022 for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Epstein.

Wasserman, 51, who was married at the time of his flirtations with Maxwell, has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the Epstein scandal, which has dogged US President Donald Trump's administration.

Trump moved in the same social circles as the disgraced financier and his right-wing base has long been obsessed with the belief that Epstein oversaw a sex trafficking ring for the world's elite.