Ariana Grande Restores Partnership With Estranged Manager Scooter Braun

Ariana Grande and her estranged manager, Scooter Braun, are putting the drama behind them and getting back to business.

In a recent social media update, Braun's team announced that the duo has mended fences and reignited their powerhouse partnership.

Ariana Grande was among the stars who cut ties with Braun last year, joining Demi Lovato and Carly Rae Jepsen after his infamous feud with Taylor Swift.

Months after parting ways, the singer decided to resume her professional relationship with Braun. Grande had previously ended her decade-long partnership with the popular manager last year, which marked a significant shift in her career management.

Braun, who played a pivotal role in Grande's rise to fame, is once again joining forces with the pop star. 

In an announcement made via Braun's marketing Instagram page, representatives for the "No Tears Left to Cry" singer confirmed the renewed partnership. The statement read:

"Ariana Grande and Hybe, led by CEO Scooter Braun, look forward to continuing their long-standing business partnership and pursuing creative opportunities in Weverse and REM Beauty. Grande in this new chapter will continue to be managed exclusively by Brandon Creed/Good World Management."

Grande was not the only major star to sever ties with Braun last year, despite his reputation as a managerial genius behind some of music's biggest names. 

According to an April 2023 article by Yahoo, Braun's company, SB Projects, saw a significant loss of high-profile clients.

One notable client reportedly distancing himself from Braun was Justin Bieber. After a 15-year partnership, rumors surfaced that Bieber and the 42-year-old manager had not "spoken in months" and were heading towards a formal split. 

While both parties denied these claims, a source reportedly revealed at the time, "Justin and Scooter are still working together. Justin is not taking meetings to look for new management. The two recently worked on something together."

Demi Lovato was another star who cut ties with Braun, announcing her departure earlier that same month. Although neither side commented publicly on the split, insiders allegedly revealed that it was "time for Lovato to go in a new direction."

The trend of departures from SB Projects began with J Balvin, who left in May 2023 to join Jay-Z's Roc Nation.

Braun's client departures undoubtedly raised eyebrows across the music industry, with many speculating on the reasons behind the mass exodus.

Something that did not help his reputation was his infamous feud with pop star Taylor Swift. 

The conflict began in 2019 when after acquiring Swift's former record label, Big Machine, he reportedly sold the masters of her first six albums as part of a reported $300 million deal. 

Swift accused Braun of "bullying," sparking a drawn-out public feud.

Apart from the Swift theory, another was that Braun was tired of the day-to-day complexities of managing celebrity clients. Instead, he was reportedly shifting his focus to broader ambitions like his entertainment lifestyle platform company, HYBE America.

It was rumored that Braun's clients were actually leaving due to dissatisfaction with his management services. Other industry insiders were more candid, with sources alleging that Braun's business was "imploding." 

According to one of the insiders, "It's a different world since the pandemic. You just can't be an assh-le like that anymore." Despite the swirling rumors and negative press, Braun mostly stayed silent on the matter. 

However, he did break his silence on social media at the time with a tongue-in-cheek tweet, "Breaking news... I'm no longer managing myself."

The 30-year-old's reunion with Braun might have been the catalyst for her exciting future plans in the music industry. In January, the pop star surprised her fans with the announcement of a new single, "Yes, And?"

"yes, and? 1.12," Grande teased on Instagram, accompanying the post with a selfie of her face adorned with bright red lipstick.

Prior to the revelation, The Blast reported that Grande shared a heartfelt message in December, where she reflected on 2023 as "one of the most transformative, most challenging, and yet happiest and most special years of my life." 

She expressed deep gratitude for the experiences and lessons the year brought, adding:

"I gave everything I could have possibly given of my heart and of myself to the projects I was fortunate enough to be a part of and learned so much from every brilliant, beautiful, soul that I had the privilege of creating art with and crossing paths with this near."

The announcement of Grande's single sent waves of excitement through her fanbase. Comments poured in expressing their joy and anticipation.

"MOTHER IS BACK," one fan exclaimed, while another added, "Oh, we're eating good in 2024."

A third wrote, "You knew we needed 2024 to be filled with magic." A fourth echoed, "The world is screaming in anticipation." A particularly enthusiastic fan noted, "The theatre kid in me is LEAPING at the title."