Scooter Braun says he 'regrets' Taylor Swift feud: 'I don’t know what story she was told'
The record exec and Grammy-winner publicly sparred over ownership of the Swift's older albums and master recordings
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scooter Braun is reflecting on his public battle with Taylor Swift over ownership of the musicians' older albums and master recordings.
The high-profile manager, 40, gave Variety his perspective on the feud that had people confused over what exactly went down in the Big Machine Records business deal.
"I regret and it makes me sad that Taylor had that reaction to the deal," he told the outlet. "All of what happened has been very confusing and not based on anything factual. I don’t know what story she was told. I asked for her to sit down with me several times, but she refused. I offered to sell her the catalog back and went under NDA, but her team refused. It all seems very unfortunate."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"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 added.
The record exec then said the most hurtful thing he experienced during that time was being called a bully.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The thing that struck me the worst is the word ‘bully.’ I’m firmly against anyone ever being bullied," he said. "I always try to lead with appreciation and understanding. The one thing I’m proudest of in that moment was that my artists and team stood by me. 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."
Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun have been battling over the sale of her master recordings. (AP)
And finally, Braun talked about the "misconceptions" there are in the media world about him. "Success is a game of chess, and sometimes on that chessboard, people don’t see what you’re doing until four or five moves in. There’s always going to be misconceptions because people want to see things the way they want to see them," he reasoned.
TAYLOR SWIFT'S FEUD WITH SCOOTER BRAUN: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SALE OF BIG MACHINE RECORDS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Braun bought the rights to Swift's first six albums she made with Big Machine Records, her old label when he acquired the company for $300 million in July 2019.
Swift. 31, left the label in 2018 and signed with Universal Music Group and Republic (as her U.S. partner).
TAYLOR SWIFT SAYS 'RED' WILL BE HER NEXT RE-RECORDED ALBUM, SETS RELEASE DATE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}She called the deal "sad" and was "grossed out" by the news, claiming she had no idea Braun was involved. Swift also called out Braun for "incessant, manipulative bullying."
As for Braun's claim that the Grammy-winner refused to buy back her masters, Swift slammed that and alleged, "He would never even quote my team a price" and the NDA would "silence [me] forever."
Braun later sold Swift's masters for over $300 million to a private equity company in 2020, per Variety. She wrote on Twitter at the time, this was "the second time my music had been sold without my knowledge."
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Swift confirmed back in November that she can re-record her first six albums — "Taylor Swift," "Fearless," "Speak Now," "Red," "1989," and "Reputation" — and take ownership of her original songs as her contract with her ex-label, Big Machine Records, is finally over.
She already dropped Fearless (Taylor's Version) in April and Red (Taylor’s Version) will arrive on November 19.