Swifties dragged Big Machine Label’s Scott Borchetta on Saturday when he posted a tribute to Taylor Swift nearly five years after he was accused of selling her master recordings to Scooter Braun without her approval.
Borchetta, who sold Big Machine Records—and with it, Taylor’s entire back catalog—to Braun in 2019, shared a nostalgic Instagram post reflecting on the day he first met the Cardigan singer, now 34, along with a photo from that time.
‘Today marks the 20th anniversary of my first meeting with Taylor. A day that changed both of our lives,’ he wrote, captioning a photo of himself watching Swift perform at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, which he said was taken two days after their first encounter.
‘Always proud of the art and the work she did while we were together… and just as proud of her now,’ he continued. ‘Keep crushing it… xx.’
In response, Swift’s fans quickly filled the comment section with claims of hypocrisy, with one writing, ‘He betrayed her but now wants to act like they’re close?’
Swifties dragged Big Machine Label’s Scott Borchetta on Saturday when he posted a tribute to Taylor Swift nearly five years after he was accused of selling her master recordings to Scooter Braun without her approval; (Swift, Borchetta in 2013)
Borchetta, who sold Big Machine Records—and with it, Taylor’s entire back catalog—to Braun in 2019, shared a nostalgic Instagram post reflecting on the day he first met the Cardigan singer, now 34, along with a photo (above) from that time
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Another chimed in, ‘This is so ridiculous. Attention-seeker behavior. Fraud,’ while someone else added, ‘This is the definition of gaslighting.’
Many fans begged Borchetta to ‘stay away’ from the Grammy winner.
One eagle-eyed fan even noticed Braun liked the post, tweeting, ‘Scooter Braun liking the post is hilarious.’
Swifties’ reaction to Borchetta’s recent post comes as the latest chapter in their ongoing outrage at him and Braun for allegedly deceiving Taylor when Big Machine Records was acquired.
The now-infamous feud began in June 2019 when news surfaced that Braun—who manages Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande—had acquired Big Machine Records, taking ownership of Taylor’s entire back catalog.
Swift unleashed her frustration on Tumblr, accusing Braun of ‘incessant, manipulative bullying.’
Blindsided by the sale, she voiced her feelings of being ‘sad and grossed out’ at the idea of him controlling her music, especially given their rocky history.
Her post quickly sparked a whirlwind of reactions from fans and celebrities alike, with several taking sides in the brewing feud.
‘Today marks the 20th anniversary of my first meeting with Taylor. A day that changed both of our lives,’ he wrote, captioning a photo of himself watching Swift perform at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, which he said was taken two days after their first encounter
In response, Swift’s fans quickly filled the comment section with claims of hypocrisy, with one writing, ‘He betrayed her but now wants to act like they’re close?’
By November 2019, just as fans were hoping tensions might cool, Taylor reignited the fire on Twitter.
She claimed that Scooter and Scott were blocking her from performing her old songs at the American Music Awards and from including them in her upcoming Netflix documentary.
‘Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun have now said that I’m not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be rerecording my music before I’m allowed to next year,’ she wrote.
The label denied her allegations.
Then, in November 2020, Taylor shared that she had tried to buy back her masters, but Borchetta sold them to a private equity firm without her knowledge.
She immediately began rerecording her old albums.
Scott fired back at Taylor’s accusations, asserting that her father, Scott Swift, was a shareholder in Big Machine Records and had been aware of the deal all along.
He also claimed he had given Taylor a heads-up before the news broke. ‘Out of courtesy, I personally texted Taylor … to inform her prior to the story breaking … so she could hear it directly from me,’ he wrote.
Many fans begged Borchetta to ‘stay away’ from the Grammy winner; (seen in 2019)
Swifties’ reaction to Borchetta’s recent post comes as the latest chapter in their ongoing outrage at him and Braun for allegedly deceiving Taylor when Big Machine Records was acquired; (seen in November)
The now-infamous feud began in June 2019 when news surfaced that Braun—who manages Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande—had acquired Big Machine Records, taking ownership of Taylor’s entire back catalog; (Borchetta, Scooter Braun in 2019)
Additionally, Scott contended that the label had offered Taylor a chance to own her music if she stayed with them, but said she ultimately chose to leave instead.
At the time, Taylor’s lawyer Donald Passman said, ‘[Big Machine founder] Scott Borchetta never gave Taylor Swift an opportunity to purchase her masters, or the label, outright with a check in the way he is now apparently doing for others.’
Braun eventually spoke up about the feud in a June 2021 interview with Variety, remarking, ‘I regret and it makes me sad that Taylor had that reaction to the deal… I don’t know what story she was told. I asked for her to sit down with me several times, but she refused… Open communication is important and can lead to understanding.’
He concluded, ‘I find her to be an incredibly talented artist and wish her nothing but the best.’