As previously detailed, Taylor Swift has buried the hatchet with Katy Perry.
But she’s just gone ahead and brandished another sharp weapon, this time pointing in the direction of music manager extraordinnaire Scooter Braun…
… and basically using all of its figurative might on social media.
Here’s the somewhat confusing deal:
Braun is very good friends with clients such as Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber.
A giant in the entertainment field, Braun’s media holding company (Ithaca Holdings LLC) announced in a statement on Sunday that it and Big Machine Label Group reached a "finalized contract" under which Ithaca Holdings will acquire the latter company.
Why is this relevant?
Because the latter is Swift’s former record label.
The deal, made for a reported $300 million, includes Big Machine Music — which means the following;
Braun’s company will now control all six albums that Swift has released to date, as well as music from other top artists such as Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, and Lady Antebellum.
And this does NOT sit well with Swift. Not. At. All.
"For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work," Swift wrote on her Tumblr page on Sunday.
She then continued, clearly irate:
"Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, [Big Machine founder] Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future.
"I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past.
"Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums."
And then there was this kicker from Swift:
Some fun facts about today’s news: I learned about Scooter Braun’s purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world.
All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years.
To what is Taylor referring to here?
As part of her Tumblr post, Swift shared a photo on her blog that featured Braun, Bieber and Kanye West… posted back during the height of the Taylor-Kanye-Kim Kardashian feud, shortly after Kim outed Swift as an alleged liar in the summer of 2016.
Swift drew a red circle around Braun’s face on her post and wrote:
“This is Scooter Braun, bullying me on social media when I was at my lowest point. He’s about to own all the music I’ve ever made."
In her Tumplr post, Swift provided examples of supposed bullying by Braun.
"Like when Kim Kardashian orchestrated an illegally recorded snippet of a phone call to be leaked and then Scooter got his two clients together to bully me online about it. (See photo).
Or when his client, Kanye West, organized a revenge porn music video which strips my body naked."
Concluded Swift in her emotional blog entry:
"Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy.
"Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it. This is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15 to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept.
"And when that man says, ‘Music has value,’ he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it."
Braun has now yet responded to these charges, but Bieber actually has.
He jumped on Instagram late Sunday and strongly defended his close pal and business associate.
We’re just gonna leave his entire response here:
Hey Taylor. First of all i would like to apologize for posting that hurtful instagram post, at the time i thought it was funny but looking back it was distasteful and insensitive..
I have to be honest though it was my caption and post that I screenshoted of scooter and Kanye that said “taylor swift what up” he didnt have anything to do with it and it wasnt even a part of the conversation in all actuality he was the person who told me not to joke like that..
Scooter has had your back since the days you graciously let me open up for you.!
As the years have passed we haven’t crossed paths and gotten to communicate our differences, hurts or frustrations.
So for you to take it to social media and get people to hate on scooter isn’t fair. What were you trying to accomplish by posting that blog?
seems to me like it was to get sympathy u also knew that in posting that your fans would go and bully scooter.
Anyway, One thing i know is both scooter and i love you. I feel like the only way to resolve conflict is through communication.
So banter back and fourth online i dont believe solves anything. I’m sure Scooter and i would love to talk to you and resolve any conflict, pain or or any feelings that need to be addressed.
Neither scooter or i have anything negative to say about you we truly want the best for you. I usually don’t rebuttal things like this but when you try and deface someone i loves character thats crossing a line.