Ariana Grande is leaving Scooter Braun’s management company Hybe – despite STILL having a year-long contract – following Demi Lovato and J Balvin in cutting ties with the music mogul
- The 30-year-old singer has now severed her remaining ties with the manager
- A source told : “Ariana has an ongoing contract with HYBE that is set to run for several more years… Everything was fine just a few weeks ago.”
- The insider added that Scooter isn’t fazed by Ariana’s decision, revealing to that he’s “the happiest person he’s ever been.”
Ariana Grande has sensationally severed ties with longtime manager Scooter Braun’s Hybe company, in a dramatic about-face that will see her end a years-long contract with the company.
As first reported by TMZ, Grande has severed her professional relationship with controversial manager 42 – with the singer even unfollowing him on social media – just days after it was announced that she had signed a new contract with the company.
The 30-year-old singer’s decision comes after days of speculation about her relationship with Braun – best known as the man who launched Justin Bieber’s global success – with rumors first emerging last week that she had fired him as her manager.
At the time, sources confirmed to that Braun would no longer manage Grande, but said that decision was due to the music mogul accepting a new role as CEO of Hybe America and subsequently ending his role as Day-now talent manager.
The insiders added that Grande had signed a new contract with Hybe – an agreement she has now apparently broken in a dramatic decision that understands came as a shock to company employees.
“Ariana has an ongoing contract with Hybe that will run for several more years,” the source said. “It’s unclear to everyone where this comes from, because she seemed enthusiastic about the future of the company and about being part of its development. “Just a few weeks ago everything was fine.”
Ariana Grande is no longer managed by Scooter Braun, although he recently signed a new contract with his company Hybe
Ariana is the latest in a long list of artists who have decided to part ways with their entertainment manager; (L) Grande pictured in 2020, (R) Braun pictured in 2021
The source added: “Scooter is moving away from the day-to-day management side, but he and Ariana were both looking forward to continuing to work together.”
Since the Tattooed Heart singer was still under contract with Hybe at the time she decided to cut ties, it’s possible that the star’s latest move could cause her to breach the legal agreement she met with Braun’s company.
It remains unclear whether Braun or Hybe will take legal action against Ariana over her contract.
However, a source close to Braun insisted that he would not let the drama affect him. He said he was “the happiest person he’s ever been” and was looking forward to “spending more time with his three young children” after moving away. He gave up the day-to-day management side of his job and opted for the role of CEO to take over from Hybe.
The revelation comes just days after the 7 Rings hitmaker and a number of other artists left Braun’s company SB Projects – four years after the entertainment executive was embroiled in a nasty feud with Taylor Swift over the rights to her music.
Grande and Demi Lovato split from Braun on August 21, while entertainers Idina Menzel and J Balvin also split from the music industry mogul earlier this year.
An industry insider told that “as Scooter moves into his larger role” as American CEO of South Korean entertainment company HYBE, a number of his clients “have been under contract and in negotiations for several months.”
The source said in their speculations that “people are spreading rumors based on what they know, but they are wrong.”
“Scooter’s team at SB Projects is still looking after Justin and Ariana as they work on what this new structure will look like,” the source said.
Last week it was revealed that Demi Lovato had cut ties with him. The Sober singer, who signed with Scooter in 2019, and the music mogul are said to have parted ways “amicably.”
Following the backlash, Scooter recently addressed the situation in a sarcastic tweet that said, “Breaking news… I can no longer manage myself.”
Just hours after the news broke, Braun poked fun at his professional predicament on Twitter on Tuesday, saying, “Breaking news… I can’t cope on my own anymore.”
Meanwhile, the source tells that Braun’s most famous client, Justin Bieber, remains signed to Braun’s company.
The insider added: “Ironically, Scooter and Justin’s relationship is the best it’s ever been – despite rumors to the contrary – and they are so excited about the future as HYBE and Scooter’s roles continue to evolve.”
In fact, there are rumors that Bieber is also looking for a breakup after an insider told People Tuesday that the 29-year-old pop star has been working on a new album without actively collaborating with Braun.