Demi Lovato Cuts Ties With Scooter Braun Amid Continued Controversy

Actress turned singer-songwriter Demi Lovato has cut ties with manager Scooter Braun. Billboard reported that the professional split was “amicable.”

Demi Lovato has split from her manager Scooter Braun, Billboard reports. pic.twitter.com/ls9qv6JKwk

— Pop Base (@PopBase) August 21, 2023

Music manager Scooter Braun has represented some of the biggest names in pop music. He is notably credited for discovering Justin Bieber. He later went on to represent Lovato, Ariana Grande, Tori Kelly, Quavo, The Kid Laroi, Kelly Rowland, Hillary Duff, Ava Max, Dan + Shay, Idina Menzel, and more.

Bieber was famously scouted by Braun after he saw the singer’s Usher and Chris Brown covers on YouTube. Braun was hailed as a pioneer in entertainment management amid the rise of social media and digital culture at the time. Years after Braun found Bieber, his image widely shifted after what would become one of the most controversial music business decisions of all time–buying Taylor Swift’s masters.

Taylor Swift Mastersgate

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Taylor Swift is known for her decades long ability to write songs that maintain personal connections and resonate with thousands of listeners. Her genre shifts throughout country, rock, pop, and folk music have cemented her as a mainstay in the music industry. Swift’s 10 unique studio albums have been coined “Eras” by fans, leading to Swift’s multi-billion dollar “The Eras Tour.”

In June 2019, Braun famously purchased Swift’s first six original studio album masters, which were created from when Swift was a teenager through her mid-20s. The masters were acquired through Ithaca Holdings for $330 million, after Braun bought Swift’s longtime record label, Big Machine Records. This resulted in an abrupt shift for Swift to Republic Records. The masters were acquired without Swift’s consent.

Scooter Braun arrives at the premiere of FXX’s ‘Dave’ at The Greek Theatre on June 10, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Buckner/Penske Media via Getty Images)

Two months later, Swift dropped her seventh studio album, “Lover”, marking the first album she ever truly owned. After the release of “Lover”, Swift announced plans to re-record each of her first six studio albums, and add additional “vault” songs to each. The vault songs refer to tracks Swift wrote at the time of each album’s release, but ultimately did not release until the present day.

PARIS, FRANCE – SEPTEMBER 09: (EDITORS NOTE: Image approved by Artist) Taylor Swift performs during the “City of Lover” concert at L’Olympia on September 9, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Dave Hogan/ABA/Getty Images)

Swift was first inspired to pursue the re-recording process after Kelly Clarkson tweeted to her suggesting the method of regaining ownership of her music. Clarkson later revealed that Braun called her manager regarding her comments and was not pleased at the news.

It is rumored that Swift’s former friend, model Karlie Kloss, alerted Braun to the masters being on sale. Rumors have long alleged that Swift and Kloss ended their friendship over this.

Social Media Reactions

Many are hopeful that Lovato’s high profile departure will lead to several other artists departing Braun’s management after his questionable business ethics. Some continue to quote Swift’s “Karma” in relation to Braun’s business troubles.

KARMA’S GONNA TRACK YOU DOWN. STEP BY STEP FROM TOWN TO TOWN.

— viviana (fan) (@repmiIas) August 21, 2023

It was recently alleged that Bieber was leaving Braun’s management, though Page Six later clarified that there were simply tensions. Fans of several of Braun’s artists are calling upon them to leave his management amid the mounting criticism over his purchase of Swift’s masters.

scooter braun losing demi lovato and justin bieber in the same week pic.twitter.com/lwd7FXkCsV

— wyatt.today (@wyatttoday) August 21, 2023

Ariana, you know what to do!

— steven ❀ (@arianaunext) August 21, 2023

Elsewhere, others remind onlookers that Swift’s rerecords have proven a landmark case for artists’ rights in music, and that the rerecords were never about the revenue.

On this day in 2019, Taylor Swift's former label, Big Machine, was sold to Scooter Braun's company for an estimated $300 million, giving him control of her back catalog, including the master recordings.
All hell broke lose after that.

— Eric Alper ???? (@ThatEricAlper) June 30, 2023

It remains unclear whether Bieber intends to actually part ways with Braun at this time.