(NewsNation) — Scooter Braun revealed his thoughts on Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber on a podcast episode released on Monday.
43-year-old Braun appeared on “The Diary of a CEO” podcast on June 9 and spoke about Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.
Swift and Braun had a falling out in 2019 after he purchased Big Machine Records. When she released her first six albums under the label, she gave the label ownership of the recordings. When Braun purchased Big Machine Records, Swift was reportedly not given an opportunity to purchase those recordings. At the time, the singer had released a statement, saying:
“Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy. Essentially, my musical legacy is about to lie in the hands of someone who tried to dismantle it.”
This led to her re-releasing several of her albums, labeling them “Taylor’s Version.” Just recently, Swift ended up buying her catalog of songs back so that she solely owns the rights.
When it came to “this whole Taylor Swift incident” as it was called on the podcast, Braun replied with, “What happened?”
‘I thought I was going to work with all the artists’: Scooter Braun
Braun went on to say, “I thought I was going to work with all the artists on Big Machine. I thought it was gonna be an exciting thing. I knew that Taylor — she and I had only met three times, I think in my life, three or four times — one of the times, it was years earlier, it was really a great engagement.”
He also said, “In between that time since I’d seen her last, I started managing Kanye West. I managed Justin Bieber. I knew she didn’t get along with them. I had a feeling, this is where my arrogance came in. I had a feeling she probably didn’t like me because I managed them. But I thought that once this announcement happened, she would talk to me, see who I am, and we would work together.”
Braun also claimed that he asked for Swift’s number after the Big Machine deal, but as he was calling artists with the label, Swift allegedly put out her open letter on Tumblr.
“I was just shocked. I don’t need to go back into it, but what I can tell you is, everything in life is a gift. Having that experience allows me to have empathy for the people I worked with, who I would always say, ‘Yeah, I understand.’ But I never knew what it was like to be on the global stage like that.”
However, he did say that he doesn’t have “any hatred” over the situation. “Everyone moves on. I choose to see it as a gift,” he said.
Scooter Braun had ‘clear vision’ of Justin Bieber’s success
Braun said on the podcast that he had a “clear vision” of Bieber’s success after watching his covers on YouTube.
“We were able to achieve some amazing things, and I’m very proud of what we achieved and always rooting for him,” Braun said of Bieber.
US businessman Scooter Braun (L) and Canadian singer Justin Bieber arrive for YouTube Originals’ “Justin Bieber: Seasons” premiere at the Regency Bruin Theatre in Los Angeles on January 27, 2020. (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR / AFP) (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images) 
FILE – Music executive Scooter Braun, left, appears with Justin Bieber at the World Premiere of “Justin Bieber’s Believe” in Los Angeles on Dec. 18, 2013. Braun is one of the most recognizable names in the music business for his work as an executive, entrepreneur, and artist manager. Publicly, he’s best known for two things: discovering Justin Bieber and purchasing the master recordings to Taylor Swift’s first six album, inspiring her to re-record them in an ongoing series called “Taylor’s Version.” (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File) 
FILE – Music executive Scooter Braun appears at the premiere of the FXX series “Dave” in Los Angeles on June 10, 2021. Braun is one of the most recognizable names in the music business for his work as an executive, entrepreneur, and artist manager. Publicly, he’s best known for two things: discovering Justin Bieber and purchasing the master recordings to Taylor Swift’s first six album, inspiring her to re-record them in an ongoing series called “Taylor’s Version.” (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) 
Justin Bieber is seen on The Upper East Side on January 31, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images) 
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 24: Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber are seen on June 24, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) 
Justin Bieber is seen on April 15, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by DUTCH/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) 
FILE – Justin Bieber, left, and Hailey Bieber attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala on Sept. 13, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Braun did say that his relationship with the singer is “not the same that it was” when they were working together. Us Weekly reported in August of 2023 that Bieber officially ended his relationship with Braun.
“I think there comes a point where, I understand, he probably wants to go on and show that he can do it. We worked together for so long and we had such extreme success,” Braun said during the podcast episode.
Scooter Braun dealt with divorce during Taylor Swift fallout
Braun said that not being “happy” with who he was at the time did affect his marriage. During his public fallout with Swift, he was also in the middle of a divorce from Yael Cohen, with whom he has three kids.
Us Weekly reported that the couple separated in 2021 and finalized the divorce in 2022.
“I think I was happy because everyone in the world told me I was doing great, and I thought that that was enough,” he said. “I feel like I was asleep at the wheel. I feel like I didn’t know myself at the time, but I had so much success at such a young age.”
Braun said he and Cohen were “made to be amazing coparents.” He said, “Through the heartbreak of our relationship ending, we were brought together to make three incredible souls. Now, whoever gets me next is in for a treat.”