Building on a long history of ‘bad blood’ between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun, the entire story is now laid out in a documentary.
In a deal that went down in history, Taylor Swift publicly aired her displeasure at Braun purchasing her back-catalog of music from Big Machine Records’ Scott Borchetta. It ultimately culminated in her re-recording and releasing her albums once again, this time with ‘Taylor’s Version’ at the end to drive home the point.
“All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years,” Swift, 34, wrote in a 2019 Tumblr post. “Now Scooter has stripped me of my life’s work, that I wasn’t given an opportunity to buy.”
The documentary doesn’t just explore the tempestuous relationship between Swift and Braun but also gender dynamics in the music industry and the power of fandom. It features legal experts, journalists and insiders from both Swift and Braun’s camps to argue both sides on behalf of the celebrities.
“Taylor Swift’s dispute with Scooter Braun over the ownership of her music exploded into the mainstream, taking contract law from boardroom to social media and into public interest,” Charlotte Reid, VP of commissioning for WBD UK’s networks and streaming, told Variety. “It’s a high-profile, high-interest story that opened debate on fandom and dominated headlines, one which will resonate with our viewers who are highly engaged with access-led documentaries like ‘vs’, which continues to be a popular format on Discovery+.”
Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood streaming now
Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood became available to watch on Max in the US and Discovery+ in the UK and Ireland from Friday, June 21. The timing was either very well-planned or blessed by the universe, as it coincided almost exactly with Scooter Braun’s announcement that he would retire from being a music manager on June 17 at the age of 42.
Unlike the documentaries made by Taylor Swift herself over the years, Taylor Swift doesn’t appear in interview format in the Max two-part show. However, there is a statement from her team that came directly from the singer-songwriter included at the end.
“None of these men will ever be able to take anything away from Taylor’s legacy as a songwriter, singer, director, philanthropist and advocate for artists’ rights,” the statement reads. “Taylor has completely moved on from this saga, and has turned what started out as an extremely painful situation into one of the most fulfilling endeavors of her life.”
(featured image: Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
