Scooter Braun broke his silence about the controversy surrounding Taylor Swift‘s album masters catalog.
On Wednesday (June 23), Variety published an interview with Braun to honor him as their “Music Mogul of the Year.” In the feature, Braun shared his perspective in regards to the drama surrounding his purchase of Swift’s music.
Big Machine Label Group, which Braun’s company Ithaca Holdings acquired in 2019, owns the original masters to Swift’s first six albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation. Swift is currently re-recording each of the albums in a bid to own the masters to her own music.
“I regret and it makes me sad that Taylor had that reaction to the deal,” Braun shared, claiming that “all of what happened has been very confusing and not based on anything factual. I don’t know what story she was told.”
Braun claimed that he asked Swift to sit down with him “several times” to discuss her music ownership, but that she refused. He also alleged that he offered to sell her the catalog back with a nondisclosure agreement, which her team refused. (Swift previously alleged in November 2020 that he never gave her team a price and that the NDA would “silence [her] forever.” Braun’s team disputed her account of events and said that the negotiations were sincere.)
“It all seems very unfortunate,” he continued. “Open communication is important and can lead to understanding. She and I only met briefly three or four times in the past, and all our interactions were really friendly and kind. I find her to be an incredibly talented artist and wish her nothing but the best.”
Braun also admitted that he did not enjoy being labeled as a bully due to the situation, and that he is “firmly against anyone ever being bullied.”
“The one thing I’m proudest of in that moment was that my artists and team stood by me,” he added. Braun’s A-list roster includes Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Dan + Shay, among others. “They know my character and my truth. That meant a lot to me. In the long run, I’m happy for my life’s work to be the legacy I leave behind.”