Exclusive: Kelly Clarkson Reveals Shocking Backstage Drama with Scooter Braun Over Taylor Swift's Album Rerecording

Kelly Clarkson offered support to Taylor Swift during her battle for ownership of her masters, encouraging her to be strong and stand tall. However, this advice did not sit well with Scooter Braun, who was involved in the dispute.

“I believe Scooter took offense to it because our paths crossed, and I believe he contacted my manager at that time,” she admitted during a segment from the interview, which will be broadcast in its entirety on Friday, June 23. “I was not trying to target him specifically. When she publicly made those remarks [about my albums] and I became aware of them, I simply shrugged it off. I thought, ‘Just re-record them. Your fans will stand by you.’ And they did.”

Kelly Clarkson, Scooter Braun, and Taylor Swift were mentioned in relation to the topic. Clarkson explained that Braun did not personally communicate with her about the tweet. She admitted to being unaware of the details and suggested that Braun may have felt attacked by her comments. The main focus for her was expressing her desire to have ownership of her own work.

Clarkson expressed empathy for Swift's fight for ownership rights, acknowledging the significance of her involvement in the creative process. As a businesswoman, it felt unjust that Swift didn't have the chance to own her own work. Clarkson emphasized the importance of having the opportunity to possess something that holds great value, stating that she understood how crucial it was to Swift.

Kelly Clarkson shared her thoughts on Taylor Swift's decision to re-record her music, stating that while she personally doesn't have the same attachment to owning her own records, she still believes it is a valid concern. Clarkson praised Swift for her genius idea to re-record her music and even plan a tour around it, acknowledging her brilliance.

Clarkson denied receiving any thanks from Swift for the inspiration and speculated that Swift would have come up with it on her own even before Clarkson tweeted about it. Swift made a career move in 2018, signing with Republic Records and Universal Music Group after being with Big Machine for 13 years and six albums. In a lengthy social media letter, Swift publicly criticized Braun and her former label, accusing Braun of "incessant manipulative bullying," citing his work with Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and others.

Taylor Swift Casey Flanigan/imageSPACE/Shutterstock

In June 2019, she accused Scooter of depriving her of her life's work without giving her the opportunity to purchase it. She expressed her concern that her musical legacy would be in the hands of someone who attempted to dismantle it, which was her worst case scenario.

The controversy continued later that year when Swift claimed that she was prohibited from performing her old music at the 2019 American Music Awards, where she was being honored as the Artist of the Decade. Big Machine responded to her "calculated" social media posts and clarified in a statement in November 2019 that they did not have the authority to prevent her from performing live anywhere.

One year later, the dispute reignited as Braun allegedly sold Swift's masters to a private equity firm, Shamrock Holdings, once again without her knowledge.

Despite encountering obstacles, the artist behind "Midnight Rain" embarked on a journey to revisit her past creations. In April 2021 and November 2021, she released Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Red (Taylor's Version) respectively, which featured previously unreleased tracks from her vault. The third rerecording, Speak Now (Taylor's Version), is set to be released on July 7.

"I wrote Speak Now entirely on my own during the years of 18 to 20," Swift shared on Instagram in May. "The songs that emerged during this period were characterized by their raw honesty, unfiltered personal reflections, and untamed nostalgia. This album is particularly special to me as it chronicles the journey of coming of age, experiencing setbacks, soaring high, and ultimately surviving to share my story."