Kelly Clarkson has been open about her struggle following her divorce. One of the things that she was reeling from was the financial fallout after her marriage ended. It seems now the singer might be getting some much-needed redemption
Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson wed in 2013 before they finally divorced in 2021. Now, the ‘Because of You’ singer has finally settled a case that she had been fighting for a while with her ex-husband.
Her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock had managed Clarkson for a few years while the two of them were married. As her manager, he charged her a commission and it turned out that he had taken huge sums of money from his former wife.
Now, a California labor commissioner has ruled that Blackstock had overcharged her in commission, and on Thursday, it was ruled that he has to pay back the amount he had overcharged the Grammy winner. The amount was calculated to be approximately $2,641,374.
Blackstock is reportedly gearing up to appeal the decision.
According to legal documents obtained by the media, Blackstock was found to have acted unlawfully when he booked gigs and signed deals for his former wife, including the ones he signed for “The Voice,” Norwegian Cruise Lines, Wayfair, and the Billboard Music Awards.
The labor commissioner stated that only talent agents, not managers can secure and sign employment for their clients. There are, at times, some exceptions that can be made, but this was not the case.
He now owes Kelly Clarkson $1,983,155.70 for her time as a coach on “The Voice.” $208,125 for her collaboration with Norwegian Cruise Lines, $450,000 for her partnership with Wayfair and $93.30 after she thrice hosted the Billboard Music Awards.
The ‘American Idol’ season 1 winner also wanted her ex-husband to hand over the percentage of money he kept when she signed the “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” but it was ruled that that money was his to keep.
The couple were wed for nearly seven years before Clarkson filed for divorce in summer 2020. What followed her decision was a bitter custody battle over their two children: their 9-year-old daughter, River Rose, and their 7-year-old son, Remington “Remy” Alexander. The couple was also fighting over the Montana ranch they shared. Their divorce was finally settled in court in March 2022.
Clarkson was granted primary custody of both children as well as was allowed to keep the ranch.
After the split, the singer moved to New York City, where she said she found some healing and was able to get back on her feet. She said, “I think COVID pointed out a lot of things,” she added, “A lot of us didn’t make it relationship-wise.”
After she released her album Chemistry, largely inspired by her personal life, she told her fans she is happy to be single for a while and is not going to be thinking about dating.
“Do I have a boyfriend? No! And not looking. You know why? I love being single,” she said to her Instagram followers in September.
“I have two kids, two dogs, three rabbits, a hamster, multiple jobs — there’s a lot going on,” she quipped, further adding that it’s “hard to start over” when “you think you’re going to spend the rest of your life with somebody, and you don’t.”
