Scooter Braun says he had a 'friendship' with Taylor Swift prior to Big Machine drama

Though his feud with Taylor Swift made headlines this month, music mogul Scooter Braun said there wasn't always bad blood between them.

In an interview with Billboard, Braun opened up about the beginnings of his relationship with the pop star and how he views his controversial move to acquire her former record label.

Braun said he first met Swift when his client Justin Bieber opened for her Fearless tour in 2010. That same night, Braun also met Scott Borchetta, who would go on to sell Braun his record company Big Machine Label Group – and by extension, the masters of Swift's hits.

“Our stories were similar,” Braun said of Swift. “Everyone at Big Machine – Taylor was kind, Scott was kind – everyone was kind to me and Justin when we were doing that show, and you don’t forget those things. I never forgot that, and we started a friendship.”

The industry heavyweight, whose real name is Scott Samuel Braun, was accused by Swift in June of "incessant, manipulative bullying" after the 38-year-old paid $300 million to acquire Borchetta's record label. In a lengthy Tumblr post, Swift called the deal her "worst case scenario."

Who is Scooter Braun: A look at the man who became Taylor Swift's 'worst case scenario'

But Braun told Billboard he doesn't see the acquisition as a bad scenario for anyone. Rather, he called it “the first move of many in building an ecosystem that allows artists to go after their dreams.”

"Scott runs an incredible company, and we’re trying to build an artist-first environment and – in a climate with a lot of players – get the leverage we need to help our creators go after their dreams," he said. "By combining what Scott had with what we had, we feel like we’re in a unique position to fight the good fight."

Borchetta, who Billboard reports is now a minority stakeholder and board member in Braun's holding company, said he sold his record label in order to make it better.

More: Taylor Swift reiterates claims she was unaware of Scooter Braun acquiring her music catalog

"I promised myself, and our artists and executives, it was going to be one of two things: Either I’m out – and I had no desire to be out – or I’m going to find an opportunity that is truly additive, that can give us more arms and legs and levers than we have now," Borchetta told Billboard. "[Until now] it never really felt like I could live up to that promise."

Borchetta added he and Braun plan to keep the company's authenticity, even as they expand it.

Related: Kelly Clarkson's advice to Taylor Swift: Re-record old songs so fans won't pay Scooter Braun

"We have very specific agreements coming into this: Big Machine Label Group will continue to operate exactly as it has been," Borchetta said. "I’ve been fiercely independent – I choose to be fiercely independent – and Scooter is the same way. This is going to be a bigger company, but it’s not going to be a corporation; there are things we can do on a dime."

Futher reading: Taylor Swift's attorney says the singer never had the chance to buy her catalog 'outright'

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun had a friendship before label drama