Not long ago, Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun were seen as two of Hollywood’s golden figures.
Sydney was the breakout star of HBO’s Euphoria, collecting Emmy nominations and fashion deals left and right.
Scooter was the powerhouse music manager who helped launch the careers of Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.
Fast forward a few years, though, and both names are now almost as tied to controversy as they are to success.
In fact, if you type their names into Google, “cancelled” pops up as a suggested search.
Sydney and Scooter’s Surprising Connection
The pair first crossed paths in a headline-making setting — the lavish $20 million wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.
Critics slammed the event as over-the-top, with protesters even showing up outside.
Still, that’s where Sydney and Scooter were introduced.
Since then, their “casual dating” has reportedly evolved into something more serious.
Friends say their relationship has grown stronger in just a few months, with Scooter even joining Sydney on a secret trip to Lake Tahoe — though he was noticeably absent from her sun-soaked Instagram posts.
A Relationship Divided by Politics
But one major issue could test their romance: politics.
Sydney was revealed in public voter records as a registered member of the Republican Party of Florida, raising eyebrows after previous speculation about her family’s support for MAGA politics.
Scooter, however, has long been a Democrat.
He once hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton and publicly backed Kamala Harris, even defending Taylor Swift when Donald Trump criticized her.
The contrast between their political affiliations could pose challenges for the couple moving forward.
Taylor Swift’s Shadow Still Lingers
Taylor Swift could also end up part of the narrative.
Scooter remains deeply unpopular with Swifties after he bought the rights to Taylor’s first six albums for more than $300 million. Taylor accused him of manipulative tactics and fought back by re-recording her catalog.
Earlier this year, she reclaimed the rights for $360 million.
So when news broke of Scooter’s romance with Sydney, many Swift fans were quick to share their thoughts online.
Some suggested Sydney was using the controversy for attention, while others admitted they were shocked into silence by the unexpected pairing.
Scooter’s Career Shift
Scooter himself has also been navigating change.
Last year, he officially retired from music management to focus on his leadership role at Hybe America.
This decision came after losing big-name clients such as Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, and Carly Rae Jepsen.
Rumors swirled about Justin Bieber leaving too, but those were dismissed since Justin signed a long-term contract with Braun in 2020.
Sydney’s Rocky Few Months
Sydney hasn’t had an easy ride either. She seemed sidelined at this month’s Emmy Awards, where she presented an award but wasn’t spotted mingling with fellow stars or attending afterparties.
She also faced a storm of criticism over her American Eagle denim campaign, which was bizarrely branded “Nazi propaganda” by some online users.
The backlash, though, appeared to help sales, with the retailer reporting $1.28 billion in profits since June and its stock price surging by 25 percent.
The PR Strategy Behind the Headlines
Publicists have argued that Sydney isn’t stumbling into these controversies but leaning into them.
From her Saturday Night Live Hooters skit to her recent quirky collaborations, she has consistently used shock value to keep herself in the spotlight.
But that strategy hasn’t translated into box office success.
Her two most recent films flopped in August — Eden, a $50 million survival drama, earned just $1 million on opening weekend, while Americana pulled in only $500,000 against a $9 million budget.
Personal Lives in the Spotlight
On the personal front, Sydney ended her engagement to businessman Jonathan Davino earlier this year.
Scooter, meanwhile, divorced health activist Yael Cohen in 2022 after eight years of marriage. The former couple share three young children.
What Comes Next?
Both Sydney and Scooter are navigating tricky professional and personal landscapes.
Their relationship may give them common ground, but with political divides, fan backlash, and Hollywood pressures surrounding them, their future as a couple could prove just as dramatic as their careers.