‘The Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun’ documentary. Picture: X/@ForbesEnt
The much-anticipated “Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood” documentary will be on premièring on TLC on Sunday.
This latest addition to the channel’s popular ‘vs’ format follows in the footsteps of “Johnny vs Amber,” “Kim vs Kanye: The Divorce,” and “Vardy vs Rooney: The Wagatha Trial.”
The two-part documentary, produced by Optomen, takes an in-depth look at the headline-grabbing dispute between global pop icon Taylor Swift and music mogul Scooter Braun over the rights to Swift’s first six albums.
In June 2019, Braun’s company acquired Big Machine Label Group for millions of rands, securing ownership of Swift’s masters.
The singer, who had been vocal about her desire to own her music, claimed she was not given the opportunity to purchase the rights herself.
In a passionate social media post, Swift described Braun as an “incessant, manipulative bully” and accused him of controlling her work without her consent.
Braun later sold the masters to Shamrock Holdings in 2020 for a reported $405 million, a move that Swift criticised as a continued exploitation of her catalogue.
The documentary’s format will present both sides of the conflict. One episode will focus on Swift’s allegations that she was excluded from negotiations and later blocked from buying back her own work.
The other will examine Braun’s perspective, with claims that Swift refused to negotiate in good faith and instead incited a public backlash, rallying her devoted fanbase against him.
In 2024, a two-part documentary was released, chronicling the dispute. Braun later expressed regret over the situation, stating, "I learned an important lesson."
As of January 2025, fans noticed the temporary removal of Swift's albums "Taylor Swift" and "Reputation" from Spotify, leading to speculation about impending re-recordings. These albums have since returned to the platform.
The controversy surrounding the feud has continued into 2024 and 2025. Braun, who recently stepped back from managing major artists, publicly stated, “It’s time to move on. It’s five years later.”
Despite ongoing discussions, Swift has maintained her stance, re-recording her albums under the “Taylor’s Version” label to reclaim her work.
∎ “Taylor Swift vs Scooter Braun: Bad Blood,” will be premièring on TLC (DStv channel 135) on Sunday, February 23 at 9pm.