Scooter Braun Believes His Feud with Taylor Swift Is in the Past, Urges Public to Move On

According to Variety, Scooter Braun attended the Bloomberg Screen event in Los Angeles on October 8, where he mentioned the “master recording rights feud” with Taylor Swift that began in 2019. This conflict was recently chronicled in the documentary Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood, which premiered in June. Braun revealed that he watched the film after his parents recommended it.

“I hadn’t planned to watch it because I thought it would be like other shock-value projects. I tend to ignore things like that, but my parents called me saying they had seen it and thought I should give it some attention. So, I watched it,” Braun shared.

In 2019, Braun faced backlash from Taylor Swift’s fans, who accused him of “destroying her career” by purchasing the rights to her music catalog. Image: Bradford Rogne Photography

The former manager of Taylor Swift suggested that five years after the dispute, fans should move on and let the issue rest. He also noted that certain details in the documentary were misunderstood. “In any conflict, having a direct conversation is what matters. Social media or a public platform is not the best place for these discussions,” Braun explained.

Braun mentioned that he and Swift have yet to have a direct conversation. “When people sit down face-to-face, they often realize that the ‘monster’ isn’t real, and the conflict may not even happen,” he said.

During the interview, Braun also revealed that he has no plans to return to artist management. However, if he were to, he would want to work with a “major star” like Taylor Swift, calling her “one of the artists worth betting on” for her dedication to the music industry.

In 2019, Scooter Braun’s acquisition of Big Machine Label Group for $300 million granted him the rights to Swift’s first six albums, sparking a highly publicized dispute as Swift lost the chance to buy back her work. In response, she vowed to re-record her albums, releasing them as Taylor’s Version, which included unreleased From the Vault tracks.

In her 2023 Minneapolis stop on The Eras Tour, Swift told the audience, “I wanted to own my music, and I believe any artist with the same goal can achieve it.” At the time, she had just released her third re-recorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).

Scooter Braun, 43, is a prominent American music executive who has managed major artists like Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, J Balvin, and Demi Lovato. On June 17, he announced his retirement from artist management after 23 years, shifting focus to his role as CEO of HYBE America, a subsidiary of HYBE Corporation, which manages BTS.

This wasn’t the first time Braun referenced Swift. In mid-September, he showed support for her after former President Donald Trump expressed dislike for Swift on Truth Social due to her endorsement of Kamala Harris. Braun responded with a screenshot of Trump’s post on his Instagram Story, captioning it, “Shake It Off, Donald. Kamala 2024,” referencing Swift’s 2014 hit Shake It Off.

Taylor Swift, 35, rose to fame with country music in 2006 and has since won 14 Grammy Awards, 29 Billboard Awards, and 30 VMAs over her 11-album career. In 2023, Time named her “Person of the Year.” Currently dating NFL player Travis Kelce, Swift recently became the world’s wealthiest female musician, with a net worth of $1.6 billion, thanks to her The Eras Tour.

Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood premiered globally on Max on June 21. The two-hour documentary delves into the complexities of music ownership, with legal experts, journalists, and close associates of both Swift and Braun offering insights into their conflict.