Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta have received death threats from Taylor Swift’s fans.
The businessmen and other staff at Big Machine records have reportedly been receiving threats via social media, email and text since the ‘Me!’ hitmaker spoke out last week to accuse the executives of stopping her from performing her old music at the American Music Awards (AMAs) and having it used in a Netflix documentary.
According to TMZ, Scooter’s wife, Yael Cohen and their three young children have also been mentioned as targets.
The music manager’s Ithaca Holdings office in Nashville had to be closed down last week due to the threats and police have been notified.
It was announced on Monday (18.11.19) that Taylor had come to an agreement with Big Machine Label Group – which is run by Scott and was acquired by Scooter’s company in July – and will be able to perform her old songs at the AMAs later this month.
The company said in a statement: "The Big Machine Label Group and Dick Clark Productions announce that they have come to terms on a licensing agreement that approves their artists’ performances to stream post show and for re-broadcast on mutually approved platforms. This includes the upcoming American Music Awards performances. It should be noted that recording artists do not need label approval for live performances on television or any other live media. Record label approval is only needed for contracted artists’ audio and visual recordings and in determining how those works are distributed."
In Taylor’s original Twitter post, she told her fans she had been told to "be a good little girl and shut up. Or you’ll be punished."
She went on to appeal to them to campaign on her behalf and also ask other artists connected to the businessmen to speak up.
She continued: "This is WRONG. Neither of these men had a hand in the writing of those songs. They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans. So this is where I’m asking for your help.
"Please let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this. Scooter also manages several other artists who I really believe care about other artists and their work.
"Please ask them for help with this – I’m hoping maybe they can talk some sense into the men who are exercising tyrannical control over someone who just wants to play the music she wrote…"
However, in a statement the company said: "At no point did we say Taylor could not perform on the AMAs or block her Netflix special. In fact, we do not have the right to keep her from performing live anywhere. Since Taylor’s decision to leave Big Machine last fall, we have continued to honour all of her requests to license her catalogue to third parties as she promotes her current record in which we do not financially participate."
The 29-year-old singer previously expressed her unhappiness when Scooter bought her old label in a deal which meant he owned the rights to her old recordings and she said at the time that she intended to re-record her back catalogue next year.
Scooter Braun receives death threats
