Brandon Blackstock: What You Didn't Know About Kelly Clarkson's Ex
American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson seemed to have finally found the right man when she wed Brandon Blackstock in 2013. The happy couple was so in love they got engaged within just a year of dating, and two children soon followed their happy union (Blackstock had two additional kids from a previous relationship). Then, earlier this year, fans were left reeling when suddenly Clarkson and Blackstock announced they were divorcing after seven years of marriage.
As Us Weekly reported, Clarkson was the one who filed, citing "irreconcilable differences," with the case classified as "dissolution with minor children." The family was quarantining together during the COVID-19 pandemic at their Montana ranch at the time. The divorce came after public declarations of love from both sides, predominantly on Clarkson's popular talk show. Although it seems they ultimately fell out of love, it remains to be seen if these two can amicably part ways.
Kelly Clarkson & Brandon Blackstock had a whirlwind romance
The couple was initially introduced by Clarkson's former manager, Narvel Blackstock, who is also her soon-to-be former husband's father. Their paths first crossed at the 2006 American Country Music Awards, when Blackstock was managing country stars Rascal Flatts. "This guy walks by, making everybody laugh. I said, 'I'm gonna end up with him. I know it,'" she recalled in a 2013 interview with People.
Although it turns out that Blackstock was married to first wife Melissa Ashworth at the time, the American Idol alum couldn't let him go, admitting to People, "For the next six years, I'd go on dates and be like, 'Man, I didn't get that feeling I got that one time [with Brandon].'" The two reconnected in 2012, and thankfully, by that time Blackstock had been divorced for a year and the timing finally felt right. They were engaged just a short while later (Twitter).
Music is Brandon Blackstock's passion, too
Blackstock followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a talent manager, counting the likes of Blake Shelton, who co-hosts The Voice with Clarkson, among his high-profile clients. Blackstock's father founded Starstruck Entertainment in 1988, and, while they were married, he managed Clarkson, too. Blackstock is musical in his own right, accompanying his wife on guitar during a 2019 concert in South Carolina, much to her visible delight (via YouTube). He's also an amateur pilot, per ET.
What's more, Blackstock counts country legend Reba McEntire as his stepmother, as she was married to his father for more than 20 years (the two split in 2015). Clarkson and the country icon previously joined forces for their 2008 co-headlining world tour, but the two ladies got much closer once the talk show host married into the family, as McEntire told E! News in 2018. She's reportedly devastated by the couple divorcing, a source revealed to Closer Weekly.
The couple's children will always come first
Clarkson broke her silence on the divorce during an emotional moment on The Kelly Clarkson Show, explaining, "What I'm dealing with is hard because it involves more than just my heart. It involves a lot of little hearts." The divorce initially seemed amicable, but ultimately turned acrimonious when the singer-songwriter was awarded primary custody of their two children.
As USA Today reported, court documents detailed how the couple would share joint physical and legal custody of daughter River and son Remington, with Clarkson holding primary physical custody in L.A. The papers detailed how "the level of conflict between the parents has increased" and "the parties have a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them." They also stated that neither parent is allowed to "speak in a derogatory manner" about the other in front of the kids.
Brandon Blackstock's financial claims soured their divorce
Clarkson and Blackstock's divorce took another nasty turn when the music manager sought $436,000 in monthly spousal and child support from The Voice host. A source told People, "Kelly's offered to pay for all the kids' expenses, but Brandon seems to think he is entitled to and needs $301K in spousal support and $135K in child support per month." Blackstock's request would entitle him to a whopping $5.2 million annually. Complicating matters, Clarkson claimed Starstruck Entertainment defrauded her out of millions of dollars.
She asserted, per documents obtained by Us Weekly, that her agreement with the management company was a "fraudulent and subterfuge device" because her managers weren't licensed to practice in California. Therefore, Clarkson wishes to recoup fees paid to them during the 13 years they acted on her behalf. Her counter-suit came after Blackstock's father claimed Clarkson owed $1.4 million in unpaid commissions. Hopefully, all is not lost between the formerly madly-in-love couple.