Casey Wasserman is planning to sell his namesake agency amid escalating fallout tied to documents released in the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal published on Friday (Feb. 11).

The Journal reported that Wasserman formally put the agency on the market and informed staff of the move in an internal memo, citing the controversy and recent client and executive departures.

In the memo, Wasserman wrote: “At this moment, I believe that I have become a distraction to those efforts. That is why I have begun the process of selling the company, an effort that is already underway.”

He added that Wasserman president Mike Watts “will assume day-to-day control of the business” while he focuses on his role leading the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games organizing committee.

“First and foremost, I want to apologize to you,” Wasserman wrote to employees. “I’m deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort. It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about.”

The decision follows intense scrutiny after newly unsealed Epstein-related materials included email exchanges between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell from 2003. Wasserman has maintained that his interactions were limited and occurred before Maxwell’s criminal conduct became public.

In Friday’s memo, he reiterated that position, writing that his contact “consisted of one humanitarian trip to Africa and a handful of emails that I deeply regret sending.”

He also stated he was “heartbroken that my brief contact with them 23 years ago has caused you, this company, and its clients so much hardship over the past days and weeks.”

The fallout has already had measurable impact across the representation business. Multiple music and sports clients have exited or signaled plans to leave the agency in recent days, including high-profile music acts and athletes. Reporting across trade outlets has described internal pressure from agents exploring buyout scenarios or spin-offs to protect client relationships.

Chappell Roan, Orville Peck and Sylvan Esso are among those to have departed the agency, while Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino wrote on Feb. 5, “I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation.”

On Jan. 31, a day after the release of the latest round of files in the Epstein case, Wasserman sent a statement to The Hollywood Reporter apologizing for his involvement with Maxwell while denying “a personal or business relationship” with Epstein himself.

“I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light,” Wasserman said. “I 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.”

Music’s biggest stars certainly didn’t leave the world hanging this Valentine’s Day weekend.

Charli xcx leads this week’s Friday Music Guide with her lush Wuthering Heights companion album, which features spunky collaborations with John Cale (“House”) and Sky Ferreira (“Eyes of the World”). The soundtrack accompanies the release of the film of the same name, directed by Oscar-winning screenwriter Emerald Fennel and starring Oscar-nominated actors Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi.

Jill Scott also dropped her new album — and it’s her first full-length offering in a decade. Featuring collaborations with Trombone Shorty, JID and Tierra Whack, as well as a gritty, soulful soundscape, To Whom This May Concern set a high bar for 2026 R&B LPs. Holding it down for the genre’s new school, Brent Faiyaz also shared his new Icon LP, executive produced by the great Raphael Saadiq.

On the hip-hop side, a plethora of artists shared new music, including A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (Before Artistry EP), Domani (Forever Lasting Tape), Feng (Weekend Rockstar), Waka Flocka Flame (Lebron Flocka James 2K26), Eem Triplin (A Love Song for U EP), Buddah Bless (Buddah Bless the Streets) and Ras Kass (Leopard Eats Face). Central Cee also dropped his long-awaited “Iceman Freestyle,” while Mike Will Made-It teamed up with Chief Keef and YoungBoy Never Broke Again for “Rooms.”

As far as singles go, Bleachers, the Jack Antonoff-led rock outfit, followed up the A-list producer’s recent Grammy wins (best rap song for “TV Off” and record of the year for “Luther”) with a new, National-esque track titled “You and Forever.” Pop trio MUNA also returned with “Dancing on the WALL,” the title track off their forthcoming fourth studio album, and enigmatic Swedish singer Lykke Li unleashed “Lucky Again,” kicking off her “existential era.”

Not to be outdone, Red Hot Chili Peppers founding member Flea went back to his jazz roots with “Thinkin Bout You,” a tender Frank Ocean lift that serves as the latest taste of his upcoming debut solo album, Honora, due this March.

Vote between this week’s new releases — or share your own — in Billboard‘s New Music Friday poll below:

Johnny Gill’s “One Night” checks into the penthouse of Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart, rising 2-1 to crown the list dated Feb. 21. The single ascends as the most-played song on U.S. panel-contributing adult R&B radio stations for the tracking week of Feb. 6-12, according to Luminate.

“One Night” advances with a 14% gain in weekly plays. Alongside the improvement, it wins the week’s Greatest Gainer honor, awarded to the song with the largest increase in plays at the format. The tune was released as a stand-alone single last August on Gill’s own J Skillz imprint and promoted through P Music.

The song secures a fourth No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay for R&B legend Gill, whose career predates the chart’s launch in September 1993. He scored his first ruler with the four-week champ “This One’s for Me and You,” featuring bandmates New Edition, in May-June 2015 and followed with 2019’s “Soul of a Woman” (two weeks that June). He, Babyface and K-Ci Hailey then guested on Charlie Wilson’s “No Stoppin’ Us,” which led for three weeks in August 2022.

Before his string of Adult R&B Airplay triumphs, Gill began a solo career in the early 1980s and reached heightened prominence when the Washington, D.C., native joined established hitmakers New Edition in 1987 (as the only member of the group not from Boston). He first appeared on the group’s Heart Break album, which includes “Can You Stand the Rain,” a Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs No. 1 for two weeks in 1989; lead single “If It Isn’t Love” hit No. 2.

A renewed solo campaign soon sparked five consecutive top two hits for Gill on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 1990-91. Four reached No. 1 — “Where Do We Go From Here,” with frequent duet partner Stacy Lattisaw; “Rub You the Right Way”; “My, My, My”; and “Wrap My Body Tight” — while “Fairweather Friend” peaked in the runner-up rank. Later that decade, Gill found another successful partnership in teaming with Gerald Levert and Keith Sweat as LSG, whose “My Body” ruled Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for seven weeks in 1997.

With his new hit, Gill continues to expand his account in Billboard’s R&B ledgers. Though “One Night” slips 14-15 on this week’s audience-based R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart (which reflects play on adult and mainstream R&B/hip-hop formats), it improved 16% to 6.1 million in audience. By entering the top 15, it marked his best showing since “My Body” reigned for two weeks in 1997 and strongest solo result since “The Floor” (No. 12, 1993).

Radio results helped “One Night” debut at No. 25 on the multi-metric Hot R&B Songs list (dated Feb. 7), which combines airplay data with streaming and sales. The arrival gave Gill his first entry on the list, which began in 2012.

YUNGBLUD is a first-timer at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, reaching the summit of the survey dated Feb. 21 with “Zombie.”

The track gives YUNGBLUD his first ruler in his 10th appearance on the chart. He first made Alternative Airplay in 2018 with “I Love You, Will You Marry Me” (No. 26 peak) and earned his previous best before “Zombie” with “Fleabag” (No. 6, 2022).

YUNGBLUD, real name Dominic Harrison, is the second act to top Alternative Airplay for the first time so far in 2026, following The Paradox with “Get the Message.” Ten acts led for the first time in 2025, the most in a single year since 1997.

Concurrently, “Zombie” bullets at its No. 6 best on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 3.5 million audience impressions in the week ending Feb. 12, a gain of 3%, according to Luminate. YUNGBLUD logged a previous high there with “My Only Angel,” a collaboration with Aerosmith (No. 13 in December).

“Zombie” also marches 37-34 on Mainstream Rock Airplay, YUNGBLUD’s second appearance on the list, following “My Only Angel” (No. 6).

“Zombie” has reached No. 25 on the multimetric Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart. It ranked at No. 27 on the most recently published tally (dated Feb. 14, reflecting data over Jan. 30-Feb. 5); in addition to its radio airplay, the song drew 1.4 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in that span.

The song is on Idols, YUNGBLUD’s fourth studio album, which debuted at No. 7 on the Top Alternative Albums chart last July and has earned 126,000 equivalent album units to date. An additional version of “Zombie” featuring The Smashing Pumpkins was released Jan. 2.

All charts dated Feb. 21 will update Wednesday, Feb. 18 (one day later than usual, due to the Presidents Day holiday Monday, Feb. 16) on Billboard.com.