Summary
- Karlie Kloss chose Scooter Braun over Taylor Swift, causing their once close friendship to deteriorate.
- Kloss's close relationship with Braun stemmed from her professional ties with him and her husband's link to the acquisition deal.
- Kloss parted ways with Braun professionally, but the status of her personal relationships with him and Swift remains uncertain.
It wasn't that long ago that Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss were super close. From taking vacations in Big Bear, California together to Kloss being part of the inner circle to celebrate album releases that slammed ex-boyfriends and fellow celebrities, not to mention being a part of The Squad, Kloss and Swift seemed inseparable.
As can happen with female friendships, however, things began to sour when a man entered the picture. This was not a man who was a romantic interest, but one that was professional. This man was Scooter Braun, the very man who acquired Swift's copyrights and masters of her first six albums when he purchased Big Machine.
Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss were best friends, but Scooter Braun seemingly came between them. Kloss was left in the position of choosing to stand by her best friend or stand by her agent, and she chose the latter. Braun knew he was sitting on a cash cow when he purchased Big Machine and never offered Swift the opportunity to purchase her music back after the acquisition, but Karlie Kloss took his side instead of Taylor's.
How Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss Became Best Friends
Taylor Swift's comment in a Vogue article led to her and Karlie Kloss becoming best friends
Many believe that Swift and Kloss became friends after the two became acquainted at a Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. However, as it turns out, Kloss and Swift's friendship blossomed after a joke that Swift told when being interviewed by Vogue in 2012. Taylor made a quick comment that came after she saw a picture of Karlie during her interview.
"I love Karlie Kloss," Swift said. "I want to bake cookies with her!"
Kloss caught wind of the cover story and responded to Swift after reading it.
"Hey @taylorswift13 love the @voguemagazine cover!" Kloss tweeted. "Your kitchen or mine?"
This conversation went from social media to the women getting together and finding out that they did have things in common and enjoyed spending time together. All of which began to pop up on social media with trips to the ocean, Big Bear, and more, giving fans a timeline of Swift and Kloss' friendship.
Fans got an up-close and personal look at the friendship when Swift performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2014. She and Kloss were having a great time when Kloss would pass by on the runway, along with other friends that Swift had in the show as well, including Lily Aldridge and Behati Prinsloo.
The friendship continued to grow as Kloss was in the video for "Bad Blood" along with other members of The Squad. Some others who appeared in the video included:
- Selena Gomez
- Hailee Steinfeld
- Gigi Hadid
- Cara Delevingne
- Martha Hunt
These women and more created a video that was praised by fans and critics alike, and it became a sensation for all involved.
However, it would not be long before there was a rift that began to show in the friendship between Kloss and Swift. While no one could identify what the cause of the friendship crumbling was and some went as far as to blame a party for the change in the relationship between Kloss and Swift, the two were clearly not as close as they once were. Even with Kloss' camp reiterating that the two were still friends, things had clearly changed.
It was not until Kloss was seen vacationing while Swift was feuding with Braun that the reason for the rift became more clear. This is because Kloss was vacationing with Braun rather than supporting her once best friend.
How Scooter Braun Came Between Taylor Swift And Karlie Kloss' Friendship
Karlie Kloss may have contributed to Scooter Braun's acquisition of Taylor Swift's music
Kloss and Braun have been close for years. This is because Braun managed Kloss for a good portion of her career. Kloss was squarely in the middle between Swift and Braun when things went sour after Braun purchased the rights to Swift's music.
Many fans thought that Kloss would have stuck up for Swift with something so egregious happening to her alleged best friend. But, it appears that there may have been more going on before Swift called Braun out on social media between Kloss and Swift.
In fact, Kloss may have been the one to tip Braun off that with the acquisition of Big Machine, Swift recordings would be available. If this is true, then the reason for a falling out would be apparent.
Rumors began to swirl in 2019 that Swift "found out that Karlie was telling things about her and her career to Scooter Braun." While this could have been chalked up to media fodder, the allegations were seemingly verified when Swift's friends, Claire Winter and Ashley Avignone liked tweets that repeated this information.
To further validate the allegation that Kloss was sharing information with Braun, the Carlyle Group was the company that provided the funding to Braun's investment group, Ithica Holdings, to purchase Big Machine, as well as Swift's work.
The Carlyle Group and Kushner Companies had investment dealings in the past. Kushner Companies is owned by Kloss' husband, Joshua Kushner. With Braun and Kushner being friends, it appeared that Kushner was involved in helping to broker the deal between Braun and the Carlyle Group to make the multi-million dollar purchase.
In the midst of the acquisition of Big Machine, Kloss, Kushner, Braun, and more went on vacation together. Given how close they all appeared, it's clear why Kloss never took sides in the matter between Swift and Braun and why the friendship between her and Swift dissolved.
Where Karlie Kloss And Scooter Braun's Relationship Stands Today
Karlie Kloss is no longer represented by Scooter Braun
Kloss was represented by Braun for years. However, in 2020, Kloss cut ties with Braun professionally. She signed with UTA for her representation of her non-profit, Kode With Klossy, her YouTube channel, Klossy, and film and TV opportunities that Kloss wants to branch out into.
As far as her model management, Kloss is represented by IMG Models.
On a personal level, it does not appear that Kloss and Braun have had any sort of falling out. There was no ceremonial unfollowing on social media. There were no reports of Kloss having a change of heart about the way she handled the situation when Braun purchased Swift's musical property. There is not even anything about Kushner and Braun having a beef with one another.
However, there also are not any social media pictures to show the trio together. As such, it is unclear where the relationship stands today between Kloss and Braun. But, it is clear after Kloss was not invited to sit in the VIP Tent or a box seat at Swift's Eras Tour that she and Swift are still very much on the outs.
