Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta Blasts Taylor Swift for ‘False Information’ Amid Recent Music Claims

Taylor Swift’s former record label, Big Machine Records, is hitting back against the singer’s “false information” after Swift took to social media Thursday with new allegations amid the ongoing battle over her back catalog of music. In a statement released on its website, the Scott Borchetta-owned company denied Swift’s claims that she is being prevented by Borchetta and Scooter Braun from performing her old music at the 2019 American Music Awards, stating they have been attempting to keep an open conversation with Swift and her team.

“As Taylor Swift‘s partner for over a decade, we were shocked to see her tumblr statements yesterday based on false information,” the statement reads. “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 honor all of her requests to license her catalog to third parties as she promotes her current record in which we do not financially participate.”

The statement goes on to accuse Swift of “contractually owing millions of dollars and multiple assets to our company, which is responsible for 120 hardworking employees who helped build her career.”

“We have worked diligently to have a conversation about these matters with Taylor and her team to productively move forward. We started to see progress over the past two weeks and were optimistic as recently as yesterday that this may get resolved,” it continues. “However, despite our persistent efforts to find a private and mutually satisfactory solution, Taylor made a unilateral decision last night to enlist her fanbase in a calculated manner that greatly affects the safety of our employees and their families.”

“Taylor, the narrative you have created does not exist. All we ask is to have a direct and honest conversation. When that happens, you will see there is nothing but respect, kindness and support waiting for you on the other side,” the statement concludes. “To date, not one of the invitations to speak with us and work through this has been accepted. Rumors fester in the absence of communication. Let’s not have that continue here. We share the collective goal of giving your fans the entertainment they both want and deserve.”

The statement came after Swift, in a lengthy message shared to Twitter on Thursday, alleged that Braun and Borchetta were preventing her from performing her older songs at her upcoming AMA’s performance, “because they claim that would be re-recording my music before” she is allowed to. Swift added that she had been told she would be allowed to use her music only if she agreed to not re-record her back catalogue, which includes her self-titled album, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation, and if she and her team would “stop talking about him and Scooter Braun.”

In her post, Swift also encouraged those who back her to take their support to social media to “let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this,” prompting the hashtag “[I Stand With Taylor]” to trend.