Justin Bieber defended his manager, Scooter Braun, after Taylor Swift accused him of “crossing a line” on Sunday, 30th June 2019. She shared on Tumblr how she felt about Braun’s Ithaca Holdings purchasing Big Machine Label Group. This move gives him ownership of her multi-platinum back catalogue.

This means he owns the masters to her six albums and makes money off every song she released before this year’s “Me!”

Her reaction re-ignited their longstanding feud, which caused Justin Bieber and others to react. According to her, she had signed a contract at 15 and could not own the rights to her music. She explained that she suffered years of “manipulative bullying” at the hands of Scooter Braun.

Here’s what she wrote on Tumbler:

“For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. 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, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.

 

“All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years.

 

“Now 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 is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15.

 

“Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. Any time [Big Machine founder] 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 reaction, Justin Bieber posted an old photograph of himself and Taylor Swift.

Then, in defence of his manager, Braun, he wrote the caption:

“Hey Taylor. First of all, I would like to apologise for posting that hurtful Instagram post. At the time, I thought it was funny. But looking back, it was distasteful and insensitive.

 

“I have to be honest though it was my caption and post that I screenshotted of scooter and Kanye that said ‘Taylor Swift what up’, he didn’t have anything to do with it. It wasn’t even a part of the conversation. In all actuality, he was the person who told me not to joke like that.

 

“Scooter has had your back since the days you graciously let me open up for you. As the years have passed, we haven’t crossed paths and gotten to communicate our differences, hurts or frustrations.

 

“So for you to take it to social media and get people to hate on Scooter isn’t fair. Seems to me like it was to get sympathy u also knew that in posting that your fans would go and bully scooter.”

Scooter Braun, who manages Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Kanye West and other big names, is yet to respond.