Kelly Clarkson’s split from Brandon Blackstock is providing the singer with a lot of material for her next album as the pair battle it out in court.
Clarkson and Blackstock tied the knot in October 2013 after two years together.
“I’m too happy. He’s ruining my creativity,” she gushed to Us Weekly before they exchanged vows. “I’m writing all this happy s–t. It’s killing me.”
The twosome went on to welcome daughter River in 2014 and son Remington in April 2016. The talent manager also shares daughter Savannah and son Seth with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth.
“I think parenting changes you in the best of ways,” Clarkson told Us in February 2020. “It’s made me stronger, but it’s definitely hard. It’s the hardest job out of all the jobs. … I think it makes you selfless. It makes you really prioritize.”
Us confirmed in June 2020 that Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock after nearly seven years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The news came after the family of four spent several months living in Montana amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“I mean, it’s no secret. My life has been a little bit of a dumpster,” the “Stronger” songstress told Willie Geist in September 2020. “Personally, it’s been a little hard the last couple of months. I’ve been talking to friends that have been through divorce. I don’t know how people go through that without having some kind of outlet because it is the worst thing ever for everyone involved.”
That same month, Clarkson noted that she was trying to “navigate” going through a public split.
“You can ask anyone who’s gone through a divorce, I don’t think anyone expects it,” she told Hoda Kotb on the Today show. “You see yourself growing old with someone and then life has a different path. It’s so hard on everyone, and you know me, I’m really open. I try to be open and share … We all go through things. But at the same time, we have four kids total with each other. That’s a lot of hearts involved, and you just have to be really careful. … We’re in the public eye so that’s hard too, to try and be truthful but also keep your privacy.”
Scroll through for more on Clarkson and Blackstock’s split and messy divorce:
This is an ongoing article originally published in November 2020 and last updated on Friday, July 30.
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“They clashed on so many levels, and being in quarantine together heightened their problems to the point of no return. So she filed for divorce,” a source close to Clarkson told Us in June 2020. “Everyone thought Kelly and Brandon had the perfect marriage, but they definitely didn’t. Brandon’s very laid-back, whereas Kelly’s pretty high-strung.”
The source added that Clarkson spending more time in California “changed things” between them.
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Brandon’s father Narvel Blackstock’s company, Starstruck Management Group, sued Clarkson in September 2020, claiming that their longtime client owes them $1.4 million in unpaid commissions in addition to the $1.9 million she already paid.
Clarkson has been working with her father-in-law’s company since 2007. The paperwork also alleged that the American Idol alum has not paid the total commission for her work on The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Voice in 2020, claiming she will owe the group at least $5.4 million by the end the year.
The “Since U Been Gone” singer countersued Starstruck in November 2020. In her docs, Clarkson accused the management group of violating the California Labor Code by “procuring, offering, promising, or attempting to procure employment or engagements” without being properly licensed.
Narvel fired back in a statement at the time: “[Clarkson's petition] conveniently ignores the fact that Kelly had her own licensed talent agency [Creative Artists Agency] at all times. While Starstruck Management Group provided talent management services on her behalf, it did so at all times that CAA was her agency of record," he continued. "It is unfortunate that Kelly is again attempting to avoid paying commissions that are due and owing to Starstruck to try and achieve some perceived advantage in her ongoing custody and divorce proceedings."
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Us confirmed in November 2020 that Clarkson was granted primary custody of daughter River and son Remington.
“The Court finds that under the circumstances present in this case, the interest in providing stability and continuity for the minor children weighs in favor of Petitioner having primary custody,” the doc read. “The level of conflict between the parents has increased. The parties have a difficult time coparenting due to issues of trust between them.”
The former couple will share joint physical and legal custody of their kids and Blackstock will FaceTime the kids every day “at a mutually agreed upon time,” per the paperwork.
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While Clarkson lives in Los Angeles for work, Blackstock plans to live in Montana. As a result, he will have to travel to California to have his two youngest children on the first and fifth weekends of the month in L.A., and the third weekend in Montana. "The court finds that the minor children are not now and have not been residents of Montana and that California is their home state,” the docs read.
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The November 2020 docs revealed River and Remington spent Thanksgiving with their dad. Looking ahead to Christmas, Blackstock will have custody of their kids from December 19 through 25 at 2 p.m. until they are returned to Clarkson for the remainder of their school break through the New Year.
The exes are set to split spring break, with Clarkson having the children on Easter Sunday in April 2021.
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While Clarkson asked the court to enforce their prenuptial agreement and block spousal support, TMZ reports that he is seeking $436,000 a month —$301,000 in spousal support and $135,000 in child support — from the musician. He is also asking for Clarkson to pay his $2 million attorney fees.
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Like several celebrity couples, Blackstock and Clarkson are expected to use Our Family Wizard to “share calendars and documents regarding the children, including “significant school events, doctors appointments and therapist appointments.”
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It's likely fans will get more insight into their split while listening to Clarkson’s upcoming ninth album.
“This next record, this will probably be the most personal one I’ve ever released,” she teased during an interview on Sunday Today With Willie Geist in September 2020. “The whole record is basically every emotion you experience from the beginning of a relationship to the end of what it is now or where it is now. It’s been very therapeutic for me. It’s very honest.”
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“It’s horrible. There are so many hard parts. The hardest for me is the kids. That’s the hardest for me,” Clarkson said on her talk show in December 2020. "I think as women we are trained … to take it all on and you can deal with it and you’re fine, but it’s your babies that you worry about.”
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Us Weekly confirmed in December 2020 that the musician filed legal documents with the California Labor Commission in October, alleging that Brandon and his father Narvel’s Starstruck Management company defrauded her by charging her outlandish fees during her 13 years with the team. Clarkson claimed that her agreement with the management company was a “fraudulent and subterfuge device” that allowed her managers to perform “illegal services” as agents, which they were never licensed as in the state of California. The singer is seeking payment from all of the fees she paid out to the company over the years.
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Us confirmed in January 2021 that Brandon filed a response to Clarkson’s claims of defraud in November 2020. In the petition, which was filed with the California Labor Commission, Brandon denied all of Clarkson’s claims and said she was not entitled to any money that he, his father or their company earned while working with her for 13 years. Brandon’s attorneys argued that the father-son pair and their company are not subject to the Talent Agencies Act because they did not perform their duties in California. They also said that if Clarkson were to prove her claims of the pair performing “illegal services” as unlicensed agents in California, Brandon’s attorneys would argue that she can only claim commissions for one year prior to her October 2020 filing, based on the one-year statute of limitations in the Talent Agencies Act. Brandon asked that Clarkson’s petition be dismissed and that she pay for his attorney fees.
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In documents obtained by Us in July 2021, Clarkson and her lawyer filed a motion for a separate trial to terminate her marital status. While Clarkson's divorce proceedings continue, she would be legally considered single. The paperwork also included a notice from the court that suggests that both parties meet to resolve the issues currently still pending in their divorce.
In the docs, Clarkson claimed she "has made good faith efforts to settle" while her estranged husband and his attorneys "have no intention of reaching a global settlement of this matter anytime soon."
"Irreconcilable differences have existed and continue to exist between [Brandon] and me, which have caused our marriage to irretrievably break down,” Clarkson wrote in the docs. “No counseling or reconciliation effort will be of any value at this time. There will be no prejudice to [Brandon] if our marriage is immediately dissolved. I have been attempting to reach a global settlement on this matter with [Brandon] since I led for divorce in June 2020. [Brandon] and I both deserve the opportunity to build a new life. Therefore, I am asking that my request to bifurcate and terminate marital status be granted."
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Us confirmed in July 2021, a Los Angeles County Court has ruled that starting on April 1, 2021, the “Miss Independent” singer became required to pay Blackstock $150,000 per month in spousal support. According to court docs obtained by The Blast, Clarkson must pay the talent manager $45,601 per month in child support bringing the total owed to Blackstock each month to $195,601.
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