﻿Their love story seemed taken out of a fairy tale, and she couldn’t stop saying how perfect
they were for each other. That’s why, when Kelly Clarkson filed for divorce from Brandon
Blackstock, fans were shocked. The messy legal battle that ensued proved that not everything
in this relationship was as ideal as it seemed. Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock met in 2006,
when Brandon’s father, who once was Kelly’s manager, introduced them. However,
Brandon was married at the time. Although some outlets reported that
the pair began dating in 2011, Clarkson seemed to confirm that they reunited in the 2012 Superbowl,
where she sang the American National Anthem. “There he was at the Superbowl, and he was
single,” the star told the Daily Mail. The lovebirds felt so good together that
they got engaged in late 2012, after dating for only ten months. The singer
announced the news on Twitter, saying it had been the happiest night of her life.
The pair got married the following year. Some time later, Kelly confessed that she didn’t
expect to get married or have kids before meeting Brandon. “I had a very high bar,”
she told The View. The singer also revealed that being a stepmom to Blackstock’s kids had
made her want to have children of her own. In 2014, the pair welcomed their first child
together. A year later, Clarkson announced her second pregnancy in an emotional and
unexpected way. The singer was giving a concert and began getting emotional
during the song “Piece by Piece”, which is a tribute to Brandon and also talks about
Kelly’s rocky relationship with her father. The star fought back the tears. She was getting
so sentimental that she decided to explain why she couldn’t get through the song. “I
was not planning on announcing this, but … I’m totally pregnant,” she said. Kelly
then apologized to her husband for the unplanned announcement, stating, “I’m just so hormonal.”
Kelly and Brandon’s son was born in 2016. The singer announced it through Twitter,
where she told fans that she “couldn’t be happier or more in love.”
Following her fourth wedding anniversary, the music star decided to open up about a
particular area of her relationship: her sex life. Clarkson confessed that she used to think
she was asexual before meeting her husband. “I’d never been turned on like that in my
whole life,” she told SiriusXM listeners. Kelly continued talking about sex in her
Redbook cover story. She revealed that Brandon and her usually stayed quiet when it came to
discussing sex with other pairs. “Let's say we’re just a lot more active than other couples,” she
said. The singer also told the magazine that she and her husband loved spontaneity and
didn’t have a set time for sex. Years later, Kelly made headlines
again when she revealed how often her and Brandon had sex. “Generally what
I do before bed,” she said on her show. However, just because Clarkson was happy,
it didn't mean everything was ideal. During a Facebook Live, the singer told viewers that she’d
be lying if she told them everything was perfect. When a fan asked the Grammy winner for advice,
Kelly confessed that not keeping score in relationships was challenging for
her. The singer revealed that Brandon sometimes felt like he constantly needed
to talk about the same things, and so did she. Clarkson was optimistic about the relationship,
since she assumed that there are always things the couple has to work on. Unfortunately,
the coronavirus quarantine proved her wrong. A source told Life & Style magazine that Kelly
hated having to self-isolate with Brandon. “They haven’t been getting along for a
while and clash on so many levels.” In June 2020, Kelly filed for divorce,
citing the usual irreconcilable differences. Later on, she admitted on her show that she
hadn’t seen it coming. “2020 has been a dumpster fire,” the presenter added.
Clarkson revealed that the divorce was especially hard because it didn’t just
involve her heart, but also her children's’. Fans were shocked at the news of the divorce,
but insiders soon shed light on why the marriage didn’t work. “Everyone thought
Kelly and Brandon had the perfect marriage, but they definitely didn’t,” a source told
US Weekly, explaining that Clarkson was quite high-strung, while Brandon is very laid-back.
Months before, the musician had also revealed that she wanted more children, while Blackstool didn’t.
On top of that, Brandon preferred their quiet life in Nashville,
but Kelly needed to stay in LA due to her work. Some online trolls used the singer’s split as an
opportunity to attack her. A Twitter user accused Clarkson of not making time for her
kids and only caring about fame when she filled in for Simon Cowell as a judge on “America’s Got
Talent.” The singer replied, saying, “Wow. Shaming a woman who has a great work ethic,
is a great mom, and who steps up and fills in when a friend asks for a favor.” We’re glad
Kelly isn’t letting trolls bring her down! Luckily, Clarkson found an escape in making
her next album. This record will be released in 2023 and talks about the singer’s emotional
turmoil regarding her divorce. “It’s been very therapeutic for me. It’s very honest,” she
said on Sunday Today with Willie Geist. As if the divorce itself wasn’t enough,
Starstruck management group, which is owned by Blackstock’s father,
sued Kelly. They accused the singer of not paying them over 1.4 million dollars in commissions since
they had managed her for over a decade. Meanwhile, the divorce proceedings were
still going on. Clarkson was granted physical custody of her kids. In the custody documents,
it was said that Kelly and Brandon had a difficult time co-parenting
due to “issues of trust between them.” In July 2021, the singer’s lawyer filed
legal documents asking the judge to declare her legally single, according to documents obtained
by TMZ. The following month, Kelly asked the judge to legally restore her last name.
Finally, in September 2021, both Clarkson and Blackstock were declared legally
single. Their “marital or domestic” status would end in early 2022.
The exes still had to come to a financial agreement. Brandon was
demanding 5.2 million dollars a year in spousal support, plus 436 thousand dollars
in monthly spousal and child support. A source close to the former couple said
that Kelly had offered to pay for all the kids’ expenses, but Brandon seemed to think
he was entitled to more. The person added that Blackstock was asking for 2 million in
attorney fees, while he was the one driving up the costs of the divorce. Apparently,
he had seven attorneys representing him alone! An insider told US Weekly that the singer was
not even entertaining the idea of settling with Brandon. “He will not
get one penny from her that isn’t ordered by the judge. It’s going to be nasty.”
The source also revealed that Kelly was devoting all her free time to preparing for the trial.
Finally, the divorce was settled in March 2022. Clarkson was ordered to pay Blackstock over 1.3
million dollars along with 45 thousand 601 dollars (45,601) per month in child support
until her children turn 18, graduate high school or otherwise become self-supporting.
Kelly was also ordered to pay her ex-husband spousal support of 115 thousand dollars monthly
until January 2024. In addition, she had to pay a one-time tax-free fee of 1 million
326 thousand 161 dollars (1,326,161). Clarkson was awarded their Montana home,
but Blackstock continued living there while he paid the singer rent. The musician kept multiple
cars and the family pets, while Brandon got all the livestock from their farm.
Blackstock had previously testified that he wanted to leave the entertainment industry
behind and become a full-time rancher, which is why he wanted to stay in Montana.
During the divorce proceedings, Kelly felt very pessimistic about love. During an appearance on
“Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen”, she joked, saying, “I’ll be single forever!”
Clarkson explained that she has trouble “picking the weeds out” of potential dating prospects.
Luckily, once the divorce was finally settled, Kelly felt ready to start looking
for love again. A source revealed to US Weekly that it was hard for the Grammy winner to make
time for romance due to her schedule, but her friends were into setting her up with someone.
We hope that Kelly will find someone special soon that restores her faith in love.
Here at Rumour juice, we’re impatiently waiting for her next album!