Ariana Grande has sensationally severed ties with Hybe, longtime manager Scooter Braun’s company, in a dramatic turn of events that saw her break a year-long contract with the company.
As first reported by TMZAriana has broken off her professional relationship with the controversial manager, 42, with the singer even unfollowing him on social media.
A source close to 30-year-old Ariana confirmed to DailyMail.com that the singer will no longer be managed by Hybe, despite recently signing a new deal with the company, which has “some years” to go.
The singer’s decision comes after days of speculation about her relationship with Braun – best known as the man who helped bring Justin Bieber’s global success to life – with rumors first surfacing last week that she had him as her manager. drop.
At the time, however, sources told DailyMail.com that Ariana had in fact signed a new contract with Hybe and was looking forward to working with Braun in his new role as CEO of the company’s US arm.
According to the insider, Ariana’s decision came as a shock to those closest to her — explaining that just a few weeks ago, the singer had expressed excitement about the future of her relationship with the company.
“Ariana has an ongoing contract with Hybe that will run for several years,” the source said. It’s unclear to anyone where this came from as she seemed excited about the future of the company and been part of its evolution. Just a few weeks ago everything was fine.’
Ariana Grande is no longer managed by Scooter Braun, despite recently signing a new contract with his company Hybe
Ariana is the latest in a long list of artists who have decided to part ways with 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 the star’s latest move could put her in conflict with the legal settlement she has with the affairs of Braun.
It remains unclear whether Braun or Hybe will take legal action against Ariana over her contract.
However, a source close to Braun insisted he is not affected by the drama – noting that he is “the happiest he’s ever been” and “looks forward to spending more quality time with his three young children” after he has moved away from the day-to-day management side of his job, in favor of a role as CEO of Hybe.
The revelation comes just days after the 7 Rings hitmaker and a number of other artists dumped Braun’s company SB Projects – four years after the entertainment executive became embroiled in a nasty feud with Taylor Swift over the rights to her music.
Grande and Demi Lovato parted ways with Braun on Aug. 21, while entertainers Idina Menzel and J Balvin also parted ways with the music industry magnate earlier this year.
An industry insider told People that “with Scooter fulfilling his expanded role” as US CEO of South Korean entertainment company HYBE, several of his clients are “under contract and have been negotiating for several months.”
The source said that “people are spreading rumors based on what they know, but they are wrong” in their speculations.
“Scooter’s team at SB Projects is still working with both Justin and Ariana as they figure out what this new structure looks like,” the source said.
Last week it was announced that Demi Lovato had cut ties with him. The Sober singer, who signed a contract with Scooter in 2019, and the music magnate are said to have parted “amicably”
In response to the backlash, Scooter recently addressed the situation in a sarcastic tweet that read, “Breaking news… I’m no longer managing myself.”
Just hours after the news was revealed, Braun took to Twitter on Tuesday to joke about his professional situation, saying, “Breaking news…I can no longer control myself.”
Meanwhile, the source tells DailyMail.com that Braun’s most famous client, Justin Bieber, is still signed to Braun’s companies.
The insider added: “Ironically, Scooter and Justin’s relationship has been the best ever – despite rumors to the contrary – and they are so excited about the future as HYBE and Scooter’s roles evolve.”
Indeed, there are rumors that Bieber is also looking for a farewell, after an insider revealed this People On Tuesday, the 29-year-old pop star made progress on a new album, without actively collaborating with Braun.