A global sports agency that represents Springbok rugby stars, including Eben Etzebeth and Thomas du Toit, has changed its name after its billionaire founder appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Image: FILE
A global sports agency that represents Springbok rugby stars, including Eben Etzebeth and Thomas du Toit, has changed its name after its billionaire founder appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The talent agency Wasserman rebranded as The•Team on Monday after founder Casey Wasserman said he was selling his stake in the company.
Wasserman is a global sports, music and entertainment agency that represents hundreds of athletes and entertainers, including rugby players.
Casey’s name appeared in the Epstein files in emails he exchanged with convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell more than two decades ago.
The Epstein files refer to documents linked to the disgraced financier who was accused of running a large sex-trafficking network involving underage girls.
Epstein first pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges related to soliciting a minor for prostitution and served about 13 months in jail under a controversial plea deal.
In July 2019 he was arrested again on federal charges of sex trafficking minors and was being held in a New York jail when he was found dead in his cell the following month. His death was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, was convicted in a New York court in December 2021 of helping recruit underage girls for him and was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison.
And while a number of stars around the world have already, one after the other, upped and left the agency following the controversy — including ex-US soccer star Abby Wambach and musicians Chappell Roan and Orville Peck — the company's executive SA client manager, Ronnie Cooke, told IOL that he and the rugby players he represents are going nowhere.
“We are very confident in the stability and continued professionalism of the company," Cooke said on Monday night.
He said the rebrand had already taken effect on home soil too, on the same day the company’s global website and social media pages switched from Wasserman to the new name.
“We have already rebranded the company to The•Team,” he said.
“Casey has publicly stated that this matter has become a distraction, and he is in the process of selling his stake in the company."
Recently, Gavin Jones left the agency in October, along with Dylan Coll.
Jones was head of Wasserman SA.
"The reports about the Epstein files came as a surprise to me, as I think many of the people mentioned in those files would have surprised most people," Jones said.
"I have not heard from any players or staff about their reaction to this.
"I don’t think, in the rugby space, it will put too many players in a tough position about who should represent them, as it is a very personal decision between the individual and the agent.
"I have no idea if the situation would lead to players reconsidering their representation, again there are some great people in the Wasserman SA office."
Another Wasserman SA agent Wim Meyer said: "We reviewed the situation as the SA team.
"To my knowledge there is no evidence of wrongdoing on his part.
"That said, the quick and effective steps taken by the company gave me confidence and I’m very comfortable in staying."
He added: "We carry on with our daily business with the same core values and beliefs."
In South African rugby, player agents must be registered with the SA Rugby Union (Saru) before they are allowed to represent professional players in contract negotiations and transfers.
The registration system is meant to regulate the industry, ensure agents follow rugby’s rules and protect players when deals with clubs and sponsors are negotiated.
Saru's list of accredited agents shows that five agents linked to the agency are registered to operate in SA.
Etzebeth said, when approached on Monday night, that he had no idea what was going on, firing back a short reply that included an expletive.
Etzebeth is currently nearing the end of a 12-week suspension for eye-gouging and is expected to return to play at the end of the month.
Du Toit simply said: "No comment."
The controversy initially erupted after emails surfaced showing exchanges between Casey and Maxwell dating back more than two decades.
Casey, who was married at the time, wrote in emails from March and April 2003 that he wanted to see Maxwell wearing a tight leather outfit.
She then promised to give him a massage that could “drive a man wild” and wrote about how much they missed each other.
In one email, Maxwell told Casey: “OK, you will not have to share me with either a cheddar cheese, a baked bean or a KitKat.”
In another message he wrote to her: “Where are you, I miss you,” adding that he would be in New York for several days and asking: “Can we book that massage now?”
He followed up the next day with another message suggesting they continue “the massage concept into your bed... and then again in the morning... not sure if or when we would stop,” according to the emails that later became public.
Casey has never been accused of any wrongdoing and has denied having any relationship with Epstein.
In a public statement issued last month after his name appeared in the documents, he apologised for the correspondence.
“I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them,” he said.
“I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
"I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell.”
The apology, however, did little to calm the fallout, with several clients choosing to leave the agency after the emails resurfaced in media reports linked to the wider Epstein document releases.
Besides Roan, Peck and Wambach, a number of other musicians and performers also cut ties with the agency after the emails surfaced.
These included the punk band Dropkick Murphys, electronic music star John Summit, singer Chelsea Cutler, indie pop act Weyes Blood, electronic duo Sylvan Esso, indie band Wednesday, and singer-songwriter Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast.
Reports also said artists such as bbno$, Gigi Perez, Lane 8, Local Natives, Hippo Campus, and the indie act Water From Your Eyes either left or publicly distanced themselves from the agency.
Wasserman is overseeing the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Several Los Angeles politicians, including mayor Karen Bass and city council members, publicly called for him to step down from the role, arguing the controversy could distract from preparations for the Games.
This while some activists and lawyers representing victims of Epstein’s abuse also urged his removal.
The LA28 organising committee ordered an independent legal review of the matter, which found no additional undisclosed ties between Wasserman and Epstein beyond already known contacts.
According to AP, the board ultimately voted to keep him in his position despite the criticism.
As others threatened to leave his talent management agency, Casey decided to sell his stake in the company.
Until that process is complete, it remains owned by him and private equity firm Providence Equity Partners.
Back in SA, Cooke told IOL he had been surprised when Casey's name first appeared in the documents but said he had no plans to leave the agency.
“I was surprised when I first became aware of Casey's name appearing in the files," he said.
“After reviewing the situation carefully, it was clear that there were no allegations or evidence of wrongdoing on his part.
“I have full confidence in the integrity of our company and our work and have no plans to leave.”
Asked whether any of the players he represents had raised concerns, Cooke said none had.
“None of the players I represent have expressed concerns about this matter," he said.
“We have very strong core values and a great culture in our SA operations.
“Our players are fully aware of the standards we uphold, and we continue to provide them with the highest level of representation.”
Cooke also said he did not believe the controversy would affect the reputation of the athletes represented by the company.
He said he did not foresee players moving to other agencies.
“I want to reiterate that our focus remains entirely on our players and their careers.
“The company’s operations globally and here in South Africa remain strong, and we are fully committed to supporting our athletes.”
Approached for comment, the company told IOL: "As a company we have been shaped by our work, our people and our unifying belief in the power of sports, music and entertainment.
"That philosophy remains the foundation of who we are and where we are going.
"We remain completely focused on serving our clients with the same professionalism that has always been our standard."
Meanwhile, the Epstein files contained the names of dozens of the world's wealthiest individuals, including Bill Gates and Prince Andrew.
As previously reported by IOL, a Jeffreys Bay couple, Cathy and Miles Alexander, who worked for Epstein for almost a decade, were also mentioned.
IOL News