Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande hung out with music manager Scooter Braun (he handles affairs for the latter two) this weekend as part of a fundraiser for Democratic 2020 candidate Kamala Harris. The move comes less than a month after Taylor Swift called out Scooter Braun for past bullying in the wake of his acquisition of her former record label, Big Machine Records.
Braun hosted the Harris at his house on Saturday night, prompting many Swift fans to lash out, and causing some confusion about the state of Swift's friendship with those who attended.
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Lovato made it clear she stood with Braun following Swift's accusations, and Grande has been openly close with him for years. Perry's attendance, however, set off alarm bells for some since she only just recently rekindled her relationship with Swift after years of feuding.
It's likely the political nature of the event superseded any industry drama, and it's not uncommon for Braun to be outspoken about where he stands. He condemned Donald Trump's presidential win in 2016, and promised to "be more dedicated to policy and helping people than ever before," according to Billboard. He echoed these sentiments a year later in an interview with Variety.
“I’m thinking about getting more involved with our leadership,” he said. "And I’m thinking about what can I do to help as a citizen, and, what can I do with the platform I’ve been given to try and lead people to a place to remember the same people we’re yelling at are the people we’re claiming to help."
Harris, for her part, has had to face the wrath of Swifties, who are now vowing not to vote for her in light of her appearance with Braun.
"@KamalaHarris please don’t do a fundraiser with @scooterbraun you will lose a lot of votes to @ewarren I want to support you but cannot if you associate with a bully and misogynist," one wrote on Twitter.
@KamalaHarris please don’t do a fundraiser with @scooterbraun you will lose a lot of votes to @ewarren I want to support you but cannot if you associate with a bully and misogynist #IStandWithTaylor @taylornation13 why don’t you reach out to her instead!
— Lele OG (@sandiegoleah) July 19, 2019
"How Kamala los the primaries," another wrote with the hashtag #IStandWithTaylor.
How Kamala lost the primaries #IStandWithTaylor https://t.co/6M9fYy10TJ
— Godzillo (@godzillo_) July 22, 2019
Refinery29 has reached out to Swift for comment.