Taylor Swift Takes On Scooter Braun But His Supporters Bite Back

Hollywood’s A-list take sides as the superstar musician accuses the powerhouse manager of bullying

- Jaime Harkin

Taylor Swift has a way with words, and she didn’t mince any of them on June 30. In a Tumblr post, she addressed Scott Borchetta, the founder of her former record label, Big Machine Media, and Scooter Braun, the big-time music manager who recently bought Big Machine and now owns all of Taylor’s master recordings. “I learned about Scooter Braun’s purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world,” she furiously wrote. “All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years.” The star pulled no punches as she accused Scooter of being the mastermind behind her 2016 drama involving his former client Kanye West and Kanye’s wife, Kim Kardashian, which Taylor claims nearly ruined her career. “Essentially,” the 29-year-old lamented, “my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”

The scathing message sent ripples through Hollywood. A-listers quickly took sides, declaring themselves either Team Taylor (Cher, Halsey, Selena Gomez’s mom, Mandy Teefey) or Team Scooter (Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Sia). Scooter, 38, remained silent over Taylor’s accusations and, according to a source, was shocked by them— but his wife, Yael Cohen Braun, didn’t. (The source says she felt the need to post because people were threatening her family.) “You were given the opportunity to own your masters, you passed,” she wrote. “Borchetta personally told you before this came out.”