Highlights
- Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s divorce was anything but amicable, as they engaged in bitter arguments over money, custody, and various other issues.
- The global pandemic intensified the strain on their marriage, as they were forced to spend increased amounts of time together and realized they were incompatible.
- Clarkson found it difficult to cope with the public nature of her divorce and sought therapy to navigate through the end of her marriage. However, despite the challenges, Clarkson managed to move on with her career and maintain primary custody of her children.
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock were once happily married and perfectly blending his children from another relationship with the two biological children they shared. Life seemed peaceful until it wasn’t. It seems their seven-year itch came just a tad early, as the two filed for divorce just shy of their seventh anniversary with one another.
Up until this point, neither Clarkson nor Blackstock had fully realized the impact this divorce was going to have on their lives and on the lives of their children. Things quickly began to get very bitter and incredibly challenging. Money and custody were hot topics that the two found themselves embattled with. All the sordid details surrounding this very messy, super high-profile divorce battle were reported on, meaning that both Clarkson and Blackstock’s every move was being followed.
As ugly as things got, eventually, the divorce was finalized. Clarkson was able to move on with her career and her life with Blackstock receiving a hefty settlement. Here are all the details of Clarkson’s divorce from Blackstock.
Updated November 2023: When Kelly Clarkson filed for divorce in 2020, fans did not see it coming. While things got ugly in the long and drawn-out divorce, eventually, the dust settled and Clarkson appears to be stronger for her journey through the divorce. Not only did Clarkson get a fresh start with her talk show by moving it to New York but she also put out a new album. With the divorce behind her, there is nothing to slow Clarkson down.
13 Irreconcilable Differences Between Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock Got Bitter
The divorce was anything but amicable
What was deemed as “irreconcilable differences” within the divorce papers developed into a full-on feud between Clarkson and Blackstock. They were arguing about everything, from money to custody, living arrangements, FaceTime moments with the kids, and everything in between.
After a few months of living uncomfortably together in Montana, Clarkson is the one who filed for divorce from Blackstock.
12 The Pandemic Amplified Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock’s Strained Marriage
Spending all their time together tore Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock apart
As is true for many couples, the global pandemic was a factor in the decaying marriage of Clarkson and Blackstock. They were forced to spend increased amounts of time together and were staying in Montana during the lockdown period. The more time they spent holed up together, the more they realized they were too different from one another to continue getting along. Blackstock is very laid back while Clarkson is extroverted. Nothing seemed to click during their forced time together, which ultimately led to their demise.
11 Kelly Clarkson Had Difficulties With Her Divorce Being So Public
Kelly Clarkson sought therapy to deal with her divorce being so public
Clarkson admits that she never thought a divorce would be part of her life story. She admits to thinking she was going to grow old with Blackstock and is crushed by the fact that her marriage deteriorated to this degree. She admits to this being very hard for everyone and has expressed that it’s exceptionally difficult to navigate the end of her marriage in front of all her fans, in such a public way.
10 Kelly Clarkson’s Fortune Was At Stake
Kelly Clarkson’s net worth was $50 million at the time of divorce
Money seems to be the central focus of most divorces, and this one is no exception. Clarkson had been ordered to pay some pretty hefty chunks of money to Blackstock.
In spite of the fact that no formal agreement has officially been reached, the courts decided not to honor Blackstock’s request for $436,000 a month in spousal and child support. However, Clarkson was ordered to pay him a lump sum of $2 million to cover his legal fees, and $45,601 per month in child support, which made her monthly payments to Blackstock each month a whopping $195,601 for a period.
Fortunately for Clarkson, those numbers were later reduced and Blackstock got significantly less than what he asked the courts for.
9 Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock Clashed For A Long Time
There was more going on behind the scenes than the public knew
In spite of the fact that many thought this marriage was iron-clad, Clarkson and Blackstock had been having problems for a while. They were feuding quite often and were clashing on “many levels.”
Clarkson and Blackstock had very different personalities and rather than complimenting one another, they had reached a point where everything was a battle.
8 Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock Had A Bitter Custody Battle
Hammering out a joint custody agreement took a massive amount of time
Clarkson will be responsible for providing the bulk of the stability and continuity of regular life for her children. They will live with her, but their arrangement is considered to be one that is reflective of a joint custody agreement. Blackstock will live in his new home in Butte, Montana, with Clarkson splitting time between Los Angeles and New York with the kids. Blackstock does FaceTime daily with his kids, at a time that has been agreed upon in advance by both Clarkson and Blackstock.
7 Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock Have A Very Detailed Custody Agreement Schedule
The custody agreement schedule is down to the minute
While Clarkson was granted primary custody of her children, that does not mean that their custody schedule is not extraordinarily detailed.
For the last couple of years, the kids reportedly spent Thanksgiving with their father. They then will be with him from December 19 to 25 at 2pm. At that time, Clarkson gets custody of them until they ring in the new year. Spring break will be split, and Clarkson gets Easter Sunday with her babies.
It sounds as organized as it is painful, for everyone involved. But as the kids get older, there is no telling just how this agreement will change.
6 Kelly Clarkson’s Prenup Was Not Enforced As Specified
The prenup that was signed should have been airtight but Kelly Clarkson was still forced to pay
Of course, two heavyweights like Clarkson and Blackstock entered into their marriage with a prenup in place. Sadly, for some reason, it was not entirely enforced, in spite of the fact that it is not being contested.
The prenup actually made mention of blocking spousal support. However, along the way it was argued that Blackstock was entitled to spousal support and it was granted by the judge to the tune of $150,000 monthly. That amount was reduced to $115,000 once the divorce was settled.
5 The Bitter Divorce Is Inspired A New Album From Kelly Clarkson
The emotions Kelly Clarkson felt during the divorce were poured into a new album
Clarkson once joked that the early days of marital bliss killed her creative spirit, as she typically comes up with her best material when she is facing strife in her personal life. There seemed to be no shortage of that as she was going through her divorce. As such, the new album is one of the most personal of Clarkson’s career.
“This next record, this will probably be the most personal one I’ve ever released,” Clarkson explained. “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.”
4 Kelly Clarkson Worries About Her Kids
The most important thing to Kelly Clarkson during the divorce was the mental health of her kids
Clarkson has described this situation as being “horrible” and says that the hardest part of her divorce is actually knowing that it’s a tough situation for her children. There’s a lot that’s changing in their little lives, and she is worried about them being caught in the crossfire between her and Brandon.
“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,” Clarkson explained on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
3 It Took Two Years For Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock To Reach A Settlement Agreement
After two years, the divorce was finalized
Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock in June 2020. While it appeared that the divorce would be relatively simple by Hollywood standards, especially since Clarkson had a prenup drawn up before getting married, it turned out to be a long and dragged-out affair. Was it the lengthy battle that some celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have had? Not quite. But it did take two years before assets were settled, child custody issues were agreed to, and any money to be paid to Blackstock was deemed fair by the Court.
2 How Much Money Did Brandon Blackstock Walk Away With?
Brandon Blackstock walked away with a pretty penny
Given that Blackstock signed a prenup that explicitly said that there was not to be any spousal support were he and Clarkson to divorce, Blackstock did well for himself in the settlement.
Beginning in July 2021, Clarkson was ordered to pay $150,000 per month to Blackstock in spousal support. This was in addition to the over $45,000 that Clarkson was paying monthly to Blackstock for child support.
When the divorce was finalized, Clarkson was ordered to pay $115,000 per month to Blackstock until January 2024. The child support payments remained the same, and Blackstock was also to receive a one-time lump sum payment of over $1.3 million.
Blackstock was also given until June 2022 to live in the former couple’s Montana home until he could find a place of his own to live.
Additionally, according to Vanity Fair, Blackstock took over possession of the cattle, livestock, horses, a Ford F-250 and F-350, some snowmobiles, and some expensive watches.
1 Kelly Clarkson Appears To Have Come Out On Top With The Divorce
Kelly Clarkson got most of what she wanted when the divorce was finalized
Though it seems like Clarkson gave up quite a bit to finalize her divorce, when it comes down to it, it appears that Clarkson may have come out on top after all.
Once the dust settled and the financial aspect of the divorce was taken care of, Clarkson still had $45 million to her name. As such, her net worth was not hugely negatively impacted. She had a new album that was going to be released and a show that was given the green light to move from Los Angeles to New York for a fresh start.
Additionally, Clarkson maintained ownership of the Montana property and a home in Los Angeles, several high-end vehicles, and the family pets. Perhaps, most importantly to Clarkson, she was granted primary custody of her children. This does not mean that they do not see Blackstock but instead, spend the bulk of their time with Clarkson.
Source: Vanity Fair, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Source: NewsFinale
