Scooter Braun is opening up about his relationship with Sydney Sweeney, reflecting on his career managing some of music's biggest stars, and revisiting the controversy that made him one of the most polarizing figures in the entertainment industry.
During a rare 90-minute appearance on Suzy Weiss' Second Thought podcast, Braun discussed everything from Justin Bieber and Kanye West to his current chapter in life, which includes a highly publicized romance with Sweeney. The actress recently confirmed their relationship after months of speculation, with reports indicating the pair have become increasingly serious.
While Braun didn't spend much time discussing Sweeney directly, he made it clear he's in a very different place than the executive who spent years overseeing the careers of global superstars.
"I've been having a really good time, building the family office, helping people, meeting great entrepreneurs and making great investments, enjoying my relationship, enjoying my children, enjoying my friends, enjoying my life," Braun said. "Maybe I want to build something, but I'm going to be patient this time and be grateful for what I have."
The interview also found Braun reflecting on the realities of artist management after working with figures like Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Kanye West. Looking back, he described having a front-row seat to both the highs and lows of celebrity culture.
"Let's just say I saw everything, okay?" Braun said. "I managed a lot of different personalities and I saw everything — part of the job is you see the worst and you see the best of people."
He added that one of the biggest challenges was watching young artists mature under constant public scrutiny.
"You also get to see some people growing up in front of the entire world and being judged in their adolescence, when none of us get judged that way in our adolescence," Braun said. "I think the best thing you can do in the job is to show up for them and try to protect them as best you can. Sometimes you protect them too much."
Braun also revisited his time working with Kanye West, calling the rapper and designer one of the most visionary people he has ever encountered. Recalling the planning stages of West's 2016 Saint Pablo Tour, Braun remembered the artist walking beneath the floating stage with his phone, studying how fans would experience the show.
"He was right," Braun said. "It was one of the greatest tours ever, and he saw the vision before anyone else."
At the same time, Braun acknowledged the complicated aftermath of his relationship with West following the artist's antisemitic remarks.
"As much as I was very much upset because my family was in the Holocaust, and some of the things he said were incredibly inappropriate [and] very frustrating," Braun said, "I want to always believe people have an opportunity to have salvation and growth."
The conversation inevitably touched on Taylor Swift, whose years-long dispute with Braun began after his company acquired Big Machine Label Group in 2019, giving him control of the master recordings for her first six albums. Swift publicly condemned the deal and later launched her successful “Taylor’s Version” re-recording campaign. In 2025, she announced she had bought back her original catalog.
Although Braun was careful with his comments regarding Swift, the feud remains one of the defining chapters of his career. Now, with the masters battle settled, his management career behind him, and a new relationship attracting headlines, Braun appears focused less on industry drama and more on what comes next.
"I'm just trying to pay attention to see what comes to me," Braun said, "instead of me trying to grab something."
