Getting real. Scooter Braun spoke out for the first time about his Big Machine Records drama with Taylor Swift.
“I just think we live in a time of toxic division, and of people thinking that social media is the appropriate place to air out on each other and not have conversations. I don’t like politicians doing it. I don’t like anybody doing it,” Braun, 38, said at the 2019 Entertainment Industry Conference on Thursday, November 21. “If that means that I’ve got to be the bad guy longer, I’ll be the bad guy longer, but I’m not going to participate.”
As such, the manager suggested a private conversation with Swift, 29, to resolve their “miscommunications” and avoid adding “to the narrative.”
Braun seemingly placed the blame on the Grammy winner for calling her fans to take action against him and Scott Borchetta. “It’s hard because I can handle it pretty easily, but when it gets to a place where there’s death threats and there’s offices being called and people being threatened … it’s gotten out of hand,” he noted. “Right now, we’re in a scary time where people say things and then people might not be in the right mindset and do really horrible things.”
He continued: “We’re inciting all of this by continuing these arguments in public. We just need to go behind closed doors and see if we can have a conversation. And if we’re not having conversations, then I don’t think we’re going to find resolution.”
Swift first lashed out at Braun in June after he purchased her masters. She then accused the executive and Borchetta, 57, earlier this month of blocking her from performing her old hits at the 2019 American Music Awards. Big Machine Records denied her allegations.
The “Lover” songstress shared via her Instagram Story that she made the issue public because she believes her openness could “change the awareness level for other artists.” She added: “I just want to be able to perform MY OWN music. That’s it.”
Big Machine alleged in a statement earlier this week that the label reached an agreement with Dick Clark Productions for Swift to perform her previous songs at the AMAs. However, the production company denied that such a deal existed.
A source told Us Weekly exclusively that the “You Need to Calm Down” singer was forced to “plan a different performance for the AMAs because Big Machine has not waived the re-record restriction provision and they have claimed the re-broadcast would be a breach of her contract.”
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