I genuinely have no idea what’s really happening between Scooter Braun and his clients, including Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. Demi Lovato absolutely left Braun, both sides have confirmed that. But Ariana and Justin’s standing with Braun and his management company SB Projects is still up in the air. Variety had a piece (which I covered separately) in which their industry sources were all over the place. My best guess is that both Ariana and Justin are leaving SB Projects, but Scooter is reminding them both that they still have contracts with him and it’s not as easy as just announcing something to Billboard or People Mag. Speaking of, Bieber’s team announced something to People Mag:
For the first time in 16 years, Justin Bieber is working on music without Scooter Braun by his side, a source tells PEOPLE exclusively. While the source says Bieber, 29, is “still managed” by Braun, 42, multiple insiders tell PEOPLE the pair haven’t spoken in nearly a year. (Puck News was first to report the estrangement.)
“Justin’s been working on his new record for the last six months. Scooter and SB Projects have not set up one session or done one thing for this [new] record,” says the source. “The relationship with Scooter has run its course.”
A rep for Braun has not commented on the situation, and a label rep for Bieber did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.
On Tuesday a source confirmed that Ariana Grande had parted ways with Braun after 10 years of working together. “They are friendly but she’s outgrown him and is excited to go in a different direction,” said a source close to the situation. “Yes there are negotiations happening because of contracts. But this is her choice. It’s time for something new.”
Still, a music industry source with knowledge of the situation maintained that “all of Scooter Braun’s clients are under contract and negotiations have been going on for several months as Scooter steps into his larger role as HYBE America CEO,” adding, “People are spreading rumors based on what they know, but they are off. Scooter’s team at SB Projects are still handling both Justin and Ariana as they work through what this new structure looks like.”
“All of Scooter Braun’s clients are under contract and negotiations have been going on for several months…” So… Scooter must have stepped away from the daily management last year, and Ariana and Justin are not happy with the people currently handling their careers at SB Projects. That’s my take. I also believe that Justin and Ariana are both ready to spread their wings and get new teams now that they’re 29/30 years old, but they aren’t completely clear on how to actually untangle themselves from their management, especially with Scooter breathing down their necks and reminding them: “we’ve got contracts, dummies.”
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- West Hollywood, CA – Record Executive, Scooter Braun steps out for a night of partying Delilah Nightclub in West Hollywood. Pictured: Scooter Braun BACKGRID USA 1 MARCH 2020 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- West Hollywood, CA – Justin Bieber and wife Hailey Bieber spotted leaving the Great White after enjoying breakfast together in West Hollywood. Pictured: Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber BACKGRID USA 24 JUNE 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Las Vegas, Nevada, 05/19/2013 – The 2013 Billboard Music Awards – Backstage. Presented by Chevrolet, Samsung Galaxy Las Vegas, Buffalo and Cambio. -PICTURED: Scooter Braun, Ariana Grande -PHOTO by: Sara Jaye Weiss/startraksphoto.com Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email sales@startraksphoto.com Featuring: Scooter Braun, Ariana Grande Where: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States When: 19 May 2013 Credit: Sara Jaye Weiss/StartraksPhoto.com
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- -Los Angeles, CA – 01/26/2020 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards – Red Carpet -PICTURED: Ariana Grande -PHOTO by: Startraksphoto.com -SRK_83312 Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email sales@startraksphoto.com Featuring: Ariana Grande Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 26 Jan 2020 Credit: Startraksphoto.com
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- -Los Angeles, CA – 01/27/2020 Justin Bieber Seasons Premiere -PICTURED: Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber -PHOTO by: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com -SDL_8699 Startraks Photo New York, NY For licensing please call 212-414-9464 or email sales@startraksphoto.com Featuring: Scooter Braun and Justin Bieber Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 27 Jan 2020 Credit: Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com
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- North America Rights – Los Angeles, USA – 20220212 – ‘Homecoming Weekend’ Featuring Justin Bieber And Marshmello Hosted By The h.wood Group And REVOLVE Presented By PLACES.CO and Flow.com, Produced By Uncommon Entertainment held at the Pacific Design Center on February 11, 2022 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California -PICTURED: Scooter Braun -PHOTO by: Image Press Agency/ABACA USA/INSTARimages.com -798177_124.jpg This is an editorial, rights-managed image. Please contact Instar Images LLC for licensing fee and rights information at sales@instarimages.com or call +1 212 414 0207 This image may not be published in any way that is, or might be deemed to be, defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification needed prior to publication and use. Instar Images LLC reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this material. If you are in violation of our intellectual property rights or copyright you may be liable for damages, loss of income, any profits you derive from the unauthorized use of this material and, where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or any statutory damages awarded Featuring: Scooter Braun Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 12 Feb 2022 Credit: Image Press Agency/ABACA USA/INS **North America Rights**
Still hoping its spicier than contract negotiations.
I FEEL LIKE IM LOSING IT.
WASNT SCOOTER BRAUN LEANNE RIMES ONLINE PITBULL DURING HER MAJOR B$TCH YEARS?
No he’s not Leanne Rimes’ (former?) manager/“pitbull”. I know who you’re thinking of though—that guy’s first name was Scott.
Lainey over at Lainey Gossip had a good perspective on this. She pointed out that Scoots’ company was acquired by HYBE America, where he’s the CEO. But if he’s losing clients, he’s no longer as profitable as he was at the time of the acquisition, which might cause greater HYBE (who produces BTS) to doubt him, which puts his CEO-ship on shakier ground. I tend to believe this, especially given that now Scoots seems desperate to keep clients that don’t want anything to do with him, and to whom he hasn’t spoken in a year. I don’t care how successful you are, if you haven’t spoken to your biggest client in over a year, the client who made you a king, there’s bigger issues there than being overextended.
I agree with this. If Bang PD thought that bringing Scooter on was going to give HYBE America some big name American talent and also help bust through the gatekeeping, neither of those things have worked and Scooter needs to go.
I’ve said this in other posts but Scooter also needs to understand that BTS’s Jungkook is not some 18-year-old with questionable authority figures in his life that he can pull his Svengali act on.
True. If Scooter thought Swifties were bad, wait until millions of international ARMYs light his ass up in 30 different languages. He better do right by Jungkook.
Something weird: Idina Menzel left Scooter in January, but was still listed.
J Balvin left in May, Demi just left, and both Bieber and Ariana have not come out to support Scooter. In fact, there’s this weird deafening silence about the whole thing, which is attracting tons of attention. If there were nothing there, wouldn’t Scooter’s clients have publicly responded right away?
Unless things have changed, Bieber is religious. If he hasn’t spoken to Scooter in about a year, then it might be worth noting that Scooter and Yael’s divorce was finalized about a year ago. Is Bieber close to her?
Innnnnntresting. Now this is the take I want to hear about.
If you are bleeding talent like this – something happened. Whether it will hit the media cycle or not – something happened and they want to distance themselves from it.
Also. Who the F is scooter braun?!?
I swear wasn’t he like LeAnne Rimes little toadie who went after people online? That’s what I know him from. And then soemthing soemthing Taylor Swift.
He actually is a power player in the music business?
While we are at it. Simon Cowell.
He’s actually in the music business. I think? I know he did something with one direction. Sort of?
What on earth makes these people qualified to be managers of musicians? Like do they have degrees in music?
I’m asking because I have the opposite of perfect pitch. And I can tell talent when I hear it but I also can’t really tell talent levels apart. Unless I hear them right after each other like on the voice. And people say your head voice etc and I’m like …. WTF IS THAT EVEN.
The voice should have an episode where all the judges break down the various phrases they use and what they mean cuz … I got no idea.
@LOL moxylady, Cowell was a music producer or something like that before American Idol, that’s what got him on American Idol (well he was on the british version before that because of his role in the music industry.)
For a lot of these people – Cowell, Braun – its less about being a musician and more just business.
I’ve never heard of anything with Scooter and Leann Rimes.
Awww… Ariana’s old face in that last pic.
Taylor said you need to have a good lawyer!
It seems predatory to me that he has all of these people locked down from when they were teens. I’d love to see the terms of his contract with Biebs and Ariana since they have been with him since they were literal children.
Also, he has a punchable face. And I am no Taylor Swift fan, but I still think he was shady AF with her masters. He looks…toad-like.
What about the bored ape yacht club? The timeline of JB fallout seems to align, the crypto and tokens keep losing value and he pushed a big strategy to promote and sell those using his clients, just want this to become spicy and know about his involvement in the NFT/crypto scam