Six L.A. power players who found themselves in the Epstein files

The head of the L.A. 2028 Olympics committee.

A director of big Hollywood hits.

An NFL owner.

A celebrity chef.

They are among the boldface names from Los Angeles who have emerged in the latest dump from the Epstein files.

The 3 million pages recently released by the Department of Justice have sent shock waves across the globe. Some are personal in nature; others are purely professional. The L.A. cases are each unique in their own way, with some files illuminating events that occurred more than two decades ago, before the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislane Maxwell came to light.

Epstein, 66, was once a well-connected financial consultant who rubbed shoulders with many prominent politicians and celebrities, including Trump and Clinton. He was arrested and taken into federal custody in July 2019 and charged with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. He died in custody that year. Federal prosecutors established that, from the late 1990s through the early 2000s, Maxwell and Epstein were engaged in a sex-trafficking scheme involving minors. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021.

Casey Wasserman

The files: Casey Wasserman, who is heading the LA28 Olympic Games, appears dozens of times in documents uploaded to the Justice Department’s Epstein Library, the most striking of which contain risqué email correspondence between Wasserman and Maxwell in 2003. In an email from March 14, 2003, then-29-year-old Wasserman writes, “I think of you all the time … So what do I have to do to see you in a tight leather outfit?” On April 2, 2003, Maxwell emailed Wasserman about giving him a massage: “Umm — all that rubbing — are you sure you can take it? The thought frankly is leaving me a little breathless. There are a few spots that apparently drive a man wild — I suppose I could practice them on you and you could let me know if they work or not?”

Other documents show that Wasserman and his then-wife flew on Epstein’s private jet in September 2002 alongside Maxwell, Epstein, former President Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey and several others as part of a previously documented humanitarian trip to Africa.

Newly released Epstein files show a series of flirtatious emails exchanged between Casey Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell.

(U.S. Department of Justice)

The response: In a statement the day after the files were released, Wasserman said he deeply regretted his correspondence with Maxwell, which took place before her crimes were publicly known, and that he had no personal or business relationship with Epstein. “I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them,” Wasserman said.

Local leaders such as L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, L.A. City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez and Councilmember Monica Rodriguez have called on him to step down from his role as chair of the LA28 Olympics committee. “At the same time as Ghislaine Maxwell was orchestrating one of the most notorious sex-trafficking operations in our country’s history, she was allegedly romantically involved with the person now serving as Chair of LA28,” Soto-Martínez said in a statement. “Casey Wasserman should step aside immediately.”

On Monday, Chappell Roan announced that she was parting ways with her booking agency Wasserman Music over Wasserman’s ties to Epstein and Maxwell. “Artists deserve representation that aligns with their values and supports their safety and dignity,” she wrote in a statement on Instagram. “This decision reflects my belief that meaningful change in our industry requires accountability and leadership that earns trust.”

Barry Josephson

The files: Barry Josephson, noted producer and the former head of production at Columbia Pictures, corresponded with Epstein from around 2010 to 2018, chatting about business, young girls and trading favors, according to emails released in the files. In a Feb. 19, 2011, email, Epstein asked Josephson to recommend women in their early 20s who would like to be an assistant. “I have ‘the’ girl,” Josephson responded that day, “Young, attractive, insane rack.” He said the girl worked for him on two movies and was “smart, although not a genius, but very efficient, will do anything, and tight lipped period end of story.”

In a Feb. 19, 2011, email, “Bones” producer Barry Josephson tells Jeffrey Epstein he has the perfect suggestion for a girl to work as an assistant. Josephson has said he’s ashamed of the language he used in emails to Epstein.

(U.S. Department of Justice.)

Epstein and Josephson appeared to hang out frequently in Los Angeles and New York over the years, according to their correspondence. Emails included in the files show Josephson saying he would try to secure roles for Epstein’s niece and goddaughter.

The response: The “Bones” producer issued a statement to Variety on Saturday saying he was ashamed of the crude and juvenile language in his emails with Epstein and that there was no excuse for what he said. He did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment. “While I did attend social events with Epstein, and he did visit my sets twice, I never traveled with him on his plane, visited his island, or saw him in the company of minors,” Josephson wrote in his statement. He said his biggest regret was that he “foolishly believed” Epstein’s denials of wrongdoing. “I was impressed by his circle of acquaintances from varied industries, and it blinded me,” he continued. “I apologize to all who were hurt by this clearly terrible and depraved individual.”

Josephson’s wife, singer Brooke Josephson, announced on her Instagram story on Saturday that she was separating from her husband. “In light of recent events in the news this week I am prepared to share a personal update,” she wrote. “Barry Josephson and I are going through a divorce.” She added that she was unaware of his relationship with Epstein. She filed for a separation in December 2024, according to documents in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Brett Ratner

The files: On the same day that film director Brett Ratner released his comeback documentary, “Melania,” about the first lady, a photo of him sitting cozily on a couch with Epstein and two women was released by the Department of Justice. The undated photo, which conceals the identity of the two women, has revived questions about Ratner’s relationship with Epstein just as Ratner seeks to resurrect his career after facing allegations of sexual misconduct. A representative for Ratner did not respond to The Times’ request for comment. He has denied any wrongdoing in the past and was never charged with a crime.

In 2012, celebrity publicist Peggy Siegal emailed Epstein that she was sitting with Ratner about to watch a documentary at the Cannes Film Festival, adding that “Brett says ‘hi’ and he loves you!” In a 2018 email included in the files, Epstein wrote to someone saying, “Hi I’m Jeffrey. brett Ratner thought we should meet.”

An undated photo from the recently released Epstein files shows film director Brett Ratner seated on a couch next to Jeffrey Epstein and two women, whose identities are concealed.

(U.S. Department of Justice from the publicly accessible Epstein library)

The Times published detailed allegations in 2017 made by multiple women who accused Ratner of harassment, groping and forced oral sex. On the same day the article was released, Epstein emailed attorney Reid Weingarten, saying, “brett ratner now oy,” according to the files.

The response: On Feb. 2, Ratner told Piers Morgan that the photo was from a party around 20 years ago and that the woman he had his arms around was his then-fiancée. He told Morgan that he never met Epstein before or after that event. He told Fox News that the speculation around him generated by the couch photo was “crazy” and horrible” and stated, “I didn’t have a personal relationship with him [Epstein].”

Ratner initially surfaced in the Epstein files released in December, which included a photo of the director hugging a shirtless Jean-Luc Brunel, an Epstein associate who died in French custody in 2022 while awaiting trial on charges that he raped a minor. When reached by phone on Jan. 15, Ratner said, “I don’t talk to or cooperate with the Los Angeles Times.”

Steve Tisch

The files: Tisch, the New York Giants co-owner who also produced iconic movies such as “Forrest Gump” and “Risky Business,” corresponded with Epstein in 2013 in a serious of often crude emails about women that are included in the files. For example, in an April 26, 2013, email thread with the subject line “Ukranian Girl,” Tisch asks for information about a girl he met at Epstein’s house.

Epstein replies, “I will get all info, did you contact the great a— fake t— [redacted] shes a character, short term, has an older boyfriend going to acting school, a 10 a—. I am happy to have you as a new but obviosly [sic] shared interest friend.” Tisch then says he will contact [redacted] and appears to ask whether she’s a prostitute, writing, “pro or civilian?” Epstein then asks Tisch to send him his number as “I dont like records of these conversations.”

The response: In a Jan. 30 statement issued in response to the recently released documents, Tisch acknowledged having a brief association with Epstein and exchanging emails about adult women in addition to movies, philanthropy and investments. “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island,” Tisch said. “As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.” The NFL has elected to review the ties between Tisch and Epstein. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a Feb. 2 news conference that the league would look at all the facts of the email exchanges and determine how they fall under the league’s personal conduct policy.

Adam Perry Lang

The files: Celebrated pitmaster and L.A.-based chef Adam Perry Lang was named years ago as a personal chef to Epstein. The newly released files provide more detail into his life inside Epstein’s kitchen. He did not respond to The Times’ request for comment. Perry Lang cooked for Epstein from around 1998 to 2002, during which time he was “basically on call 24/7,” according to a 2021 FBI interview with Lang included in the files. Perry Lang told the FBI interviewer he was unaware that any of Epstein’s young female guests were minors.

He never referred to Epstein or Maxwell by their first names and was instructed not to speak to guests. “Maxwell was quite materialistic,” Perry Lang told the FBI interviewer, who wrote that “[s]he went from upbeat to withdrawn to aggressive with Perry Lang.” He characterized Epstein as being generally amicable but described an instance of “very aggressive” displeasure after Perry Lang left a prepared meal in the fridge. “Epstein was very upset, had an intense energy and was scary,” Perry Lang told the FBI interviewer.

In a 2021 interview with the FBI, Adam Perry Lang talks about the guests he served while working as Epstein’s private chef from around 1998 to 2002.

(U.S. Department of Justice from the publicly accessible Epstein library)

Perry Lang told the FBI interviewer he left to pursue his own business ventures in 2002 but later received business advice from Epstein; the last time they spoke, he said, was in 2007. He trained under some of the world’s most influential chefs, including Daniel Boulud and Guy Savoy, before launching his own restaurant, the since-shuttered but acclaimed Hollywood steakhouse APL.

The response: When his work for Epstein first surfaced in 2019, he said that his role was limited to meal preparation and that he was unaware of Epstein’s “depraved behavior.”

Michael Sitrick

The files: The files detail a business transaction between Epstein and PR guru Sitrick that was not personal in nature. Sitrick called on by Epstein’s lawyers to assist Epstein in 2011 after a photo of Epstein and Prince Andrew walking together in Central Park was published in an article by the British tabloid News of the World titled “Prince Andy & The Paedo.”

The image generated a “tsunami of negative publicity,” according to a 2011 email included in the files from Sitrick’s attorney describing the services provided to Epstein by his client.

The photo was taken after Epstein served a 13-month sentence for soliciting a 14-year-old for prostitution and generated a media frenzy over his continued friendship with the royal. The prince’s ex-wife, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, subsequently told the British press she had “deep regret” over her ties with Epstein, saying, “I abhor paedophilia [sic] and any sexual abuse of children.” In a March 13, 2011, email to Epstein, Sitrick outlines a strategy to respond to the reputational crisis and Ferguson’s comment. “Objective: get newspapers to stop calling you a pedophile and get the truth out; tamp down and ultimately stop the bad press; start generating positive press about your community involvement,” he wrote. “Tactics: get Fergie to retract; hold newspapers accountable; filing a formal complaint with the Press Complaints Commission.” Sitrick writes that if gentle persuasion doesn’t work to convince Ferguson to retract her statement, then “we need to turn up the heat even to the point of sending her a draft defamation lawsuit.”

In a March 13, 2011, email, PR expert Michael Sitrick outlines a strategy to help Epstein respond to bad press after a photo of him with Prince Andrew was published in a British tabloid.

(U.S. Department of Justice from the publicly accessible Epstein library)

In an April 25 email to her own PR guru James Henderson with Jeffrey Epstein cc’ed, Ferguson writes that she “did NOT” tell press that “Jeffrey was a P” and that she wants to find a way to make newspapers “apologize for misrepresenting Jeffrey and Myself.” However, it does not appear that any formal retraction or correction to Ferguson’s initial statement was published in the media.

In 2013, Sitrick filed a lawsuit against Epstein in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that Epstein refused to pay him the $103,500 he owed for his crisis PR services over the 2011 photo scandal. The court later ruled in favor of Sitrick, ordering Epstein to pay him $155,464.

The response: Sitrick told The Times that he never met Epstein in person and only corresponded via email or over the phone with lawyers present. He said Epstein ultimately paid him the money ordered by the court. The charity founded by Ferguson, Sarah’s Trust, is shutting down after the latest Epstein files revealed the depth of her friendship with Epstein.

Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report