The clearest public tension between Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber surfaced in 2019, after Swift criticized Scooter Braun’s purchase of the Big Machine label and Bieber defended Braun. An earlier episode involving Bieber and Swift’s friend Selena Gomez is sometimes cited as context, but it does not prove a direct feud. The reporting documents past public statements—not Swift’s current private feelings.
What happened between Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber in 2019?
In July 2019, Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine, the label associated with Swift’s first six albums. Swift said she learned of the purchase when it was announced publicly and wrote that she thought about “the incessant, manipulative bullying I’ve received at his hands for years.” That was Swift’s allegation about Braun, not an independently established finding. The Guardian’s contemporaneous account reported both Swift’s post and the dispute that followed.
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Swift also cited a 2016 Instagram post by Bieber showing him with Braun and Kanye West. Bieber had captioned the image “taylor swift what up.” Swift used it as an example of what she described as Braun’s role in online bullying. The post documents the image and caption; it does not by itself establish Bieber’s intent or prove Swift’s broader allegation about Braun.
Bieber defended Braun and apologized for the old post
Bieber responded by defending Braun and criticizing Swift’s post. He also apologized for the 2016 image, saying he had thought it was funny at the time but later considered it “distasteful and insensitive.” In a separate statement, he said he and Swift had not crossed paths or communicated their differences, hurts, or frustrations for years. The National quoted Bieber’s response alongside Swift’s account.
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That exchange is the strongest documented basis for describing public tension between the two: Swift connected Bieber’s old post to her criticism of Braun, while Bieber defended Braun, objected to Swift’s public framing, and expressed regret about the post. It does not establish what either person privately felt beyond the statements they made.
What was disputed about Swift’s music catalog?
The disagreement involved ownership and control of the master recordings of Swift’s early albums. Swift and Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta gave conflicting accounts of what offer had been made to her before she left the label. The Guardian reported the competing descriptions; the available account does not settle which version was correct.
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Swift’s criticism concerned Braun’s acquisition of the label and her allegations about his past conduct. Bieber’s role in the public dispute was to defend Braun and respond to Swift’s post. Those are related parts of the 2019 exchange, but they are not the same claim: Bieber’s defense does not resolve the catalog-offer disagreement or independently confirm or disprove Swift’s allegations.
Did Selena Gomez’s relationship with Bieber cause a feud?
Some earlier coverage connected Swift’s reported reaction to Bieber with his on-and-off relationship with Swift’s friend Selena Gomez. TIME’s 2014 report described Swift as reportedly disapproving of the relationship and interpreted her expression during a Bieber-Gomez kiss at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards as a reaction. TIME’s account is a reporter’s reading of a public moment, not evidence of a direct confrontation or proof of a personal feud.
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That episode may explain why observers linked the two artists before 2019, but it should be treated more cautiously than the later exchange, in which Swift and Bieber each made public statements.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the masters after the dispute?
Swift announced plans to rerecord her albums, releasing new versions identified as “Taylor’s Version.” The Associated Press’s 2023 retrospective reported that Braun later sold the masters to an investment fund and described Swift’s rerecording project. The AP’s account provides later context for the business dispute, rather than new evidence about Swift and Bieber’s personal relationship.
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