Selena Gomez has jumped to the defense of her longtime friend Taylor Swift, saying she is “sick and extremely angry” over her music battle with Scooter Braun, accusing the music exec of having “robbed and crushed” the “Shake It Off” singer.
After Swift claimed that Justin Bieber manager Braun — who owns the masters to her first six albums through his company Ithaca Holdings after purchasing her former label Big Machine Records — was preventing her from performing her old songs, Gomez took to Instagram on Friday.
“My heart is so heavy right now,” Gomez wrote in the post. “It makes me sick and extremely angry. (I don’t mind if there may be retaliation) this is my opinion. It’s greed, manipulation and power. There is no heart or thought of anyone else’s. No respect for the words my friend has written since she was a 14 year old in her bedroom. You’ve robbed and crushed one of our best songwriters of our time [of] an opportunity to celebrate all of her music with fans and the world.”
“I have known Taylor for 13 years. She is the most dedicated, fearless, feisty, strongest woman I’ve ever known.
“People can say bitch,” she added, “but what I’m saying to you is that’s called a woman with true identity and strength who takes no s–t.”
Gomez also recalled listening to Swift’s album “Fearless” before it was released, and it “became one of the biggest records — an album that saved so many young women who felt alone. Have a broken heart. Who were healing. Those who felt invisible.”
Gomez continued, “Gave a voice to those who didn’t know that they had one all along. Believing in dreams again. I continued to see how she has constantly challenged herself to create a beautiful life that belong[s] to just her.”
She added, “The MOST important thing to Taylor is her family, love, her fans and her MUSIC.
“I really hope there is a change of heart over this unfortunate situation. Seeing my best friend (or any of my friends) be constantly pulled down is the worst feeling. Taylor fights. She will never stop fighting. People grow from choices. Some will stay exactly the same. I just want a change of heart. I love you.”
On Thursday, Swift sent a note to fans stating she planned to perform a medley of her hits at the American Music Awards, where she is being honored as the Artist of the Decade. But she claimed Braun and Big Machine Records founder Scott Borchetta had told her she was not allowed to perform her old songs on television.
She also revealed that Netflix has filmed a documentary about her life and claimed, “Scott and Scooter have declined the use of my older music or performance footage of the project, even though there is no mention of either of them or Big Machine Records anywhere in the film.”
Big Machine has denied Swift’s claims regarding the AMAs performance and the Netflix documentary.
“At no point did we say Taylor could not perform on the AMAs or block her Netflix special,” a statement from the label read. “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.”
Other stars who have rallied behind Swift include Halsey, Camila Cabello and Gigi Hadid.