Kelly Clarkson's Divorce Sparked A Nasty Legal Battle With Her Ex Brandon Blackstock
In the summer of 2020, pop star and original "American Idol" winner Kelly Clarkson filed for divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock, whom she married in 2013. The end of the celebrity couple's marriage wasn't exactly amicable at first, and Clarkson hasn't been shy about taking shady swipes at her ex-husband in the intervening years either. Likewise, although their split was technically finalized in 2022, that's not where the story ends, as Clarkson and Blackstock's messy divorce ended up being the prelude to another nasty legal battle between them.
Clarkson returned to divorce court in 2023, and she was ultimately awarded $2.6 million in November of that year. More specifically, Blackstock was ordered to pay Clarkson that substantial amount in order to reimburse his ex-wife for money she paid him to make business deals on her behalf, back when Blackstock was still Clarkson's manager — including her gig as a judge on "The Voice." Per Billboard, California's labor commissioner ruled that Blackstock had run afoul of state law by securing those deals, as he was not a licensed talent agent.
Blackstock appealed the decision, but Clarkson kept the pressure on. According to Billboard, the singer filed another lawsuit against Blackstock in March 2024, alleging that he and his father Narvel Blackstock (yes, Reba McEntire's ex-husband) had being violating those laws since at least 2007, meaning she was owed even more money. Notably, the 2023 decision that netted the beloved talk show host over $2 million only took into account commissions that Clarkson had paid to Blackstock from 2017 onward.
How the legal battle between Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock finally ended
Almost immediately after Kelly Clarkson filed her second lawsuit against former husband Brandon Blackstock, he and his father's company, Starstruck Entertainment, moved to have the claim struck down. As People reported at the time, the talent agent filed for a dismissal in April 2024, denying Clarkson's allegations against Starstruck and arguing that she was not within her rights to sue again. The renewed legal saga between the "Since U Been Gone" hitmaker and Blackstock finally reached its end just a month later, with a source confirming to Rolling Stone that the matter had been settled out of court, and that the case would not be going to trial in August 2024 as originally planned.
Shortly after their initial report was published, Clarkson's attorney reaffirmed the news to Entertainment Tonight, adding that the terms of the settlement would not be publicly disclosed. A bit of an anticlimactic conclusion, but no doubt preferable to a lengthy court battle for all parties concerned. After the fact, both Clarkson and Blackstock seemed eager to put the whole dramatic ordeal behind them.
In November 2024, an insider acknowledged to Life & Style magazine that while the exes were still far from best friends, they were getting along better for the sake of their two children. "[They're] being more amicable now and coparenting with consideration. They probably won't be breaking bread, but they can see eye to eye about the kids and are generally pleasant to one another," the source divulged, noting that Clarkson was in a good place emotionally and thus felt more inclined to let go of some resentment.