Scooter Braun finally spoke out about reports that many of his famous clients have parted ways with him as a manager.
“Breaking news … I’m no longer managing myself,” Braun, 42, tweeted on Tuesday, August 22.
Braun’s quippy missive came amid numerous reports that several of the megastars he manages — Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato — have decided to move on. So many clients appeared to drop Braun at the same time that “[X Person] has parted ways with Scooter Braun” became a meme. Some of the fictional clients that have “fired” Braun include Annabelle from The Conjuring Universe, Peppa Pig and Lydia Tár from Tár.
Us Weekly confirmed on Tuesday that Grande, 30, dropped Braun as her music manager after 10 years of working together. Lovato, meanwhile, is reportedly looking for new management after signing with Braun in 2019. The outlet noted that Lovato, 31, and Braun came to a mutual and amicable decision about ending their relationship as client and manager.
Bieber, meanwhile, reportedly cut ties with Braun last week, but reps for both Braun and Bieber, 29, told Us on Friday, August 18, that the rumors were untrue.
Later, an insider with knowledge of the situation told Us that Braun is still working with Grande and Bieber. “All of Scooter Braun’s clients are under contract and negotiations have been going on for several months as Scooter steps into his larger role as Hybe America CEO,” the source explained. “People are spreading rumors based on what they know, but they are off. Scooter’s team at SB Projects are still handling both Justin and Ariana as they work through what this new structure looks like.”
Braun discovered Bieber in 2007 after stumbling on one of his YouTube videos. When Bieber signed a record deal with Island Records one year later, Braun was on hand as his manager as Bieber also signed with Raymond Braun Media (RBMG), which was a joint venture between Braun and Usher.
Braun is currently the CEO of Hybe America, the U.S. branch of Hybe Corporation. Hybe was formerly called Big Hit Entertainment and is best known for managing K-pop superstars BTS and Tomorrow X Together.
In 2019, Braun came under fire after he acquired Taylor Swift’s master recordings through a business deal with Scott Borchetta, who previously owned her former record label, Big Machine.
“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, the clubs, then arenas, then stadiums,” Swift, 33, wrote via Tumblr at the time. “Never in my worst nightmare did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them. In perpetuity. That means forever.”
Swift has since been rerecording her old albums so that she owns the new masters. After releasing Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July, Swift announced earlier this month that the rerecorded edition of 1989 will drop on October 27.
