Celebrity News March 08, 2022
Kelly Clarkson & Brandon Blackstock Settle Their Divorce
After months of going back and forth, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock have finally reached a divorce settlement!
TMZ reports L.A. Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon signed off on the settlement.
As part of the agreement, Brandon must move out of their Montana ranch by June 1. Until then, he will be paying $12,500 a month to Kelly, who is now the sole owner.
Should Brandon move out of Montana, the custody arrangement for their two children—River, 7, and Remington, 5—will be re-evaluated.
Thanks to the prenup they signed, Clarkson will be keeping much of her money, including her $20 million in annual earnings.
According to the outlet, the prenup separates all of Kelly’s assets and income earned during her marriage.
Though Brandon challenged it, a judge ruled to uphold the prenuptial agreement last year.
After seven years of marriage, Kelly filed for divorce from Brandon in June 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences,” and was granted primary custody of their two children in November 2020.
As part of their settlement, Clarkson will pay spousal support to Blackstock, who will get $115,000 a month until January 2024. Additionally, he’ll be receiving $45,600 a month in child support and $1.3 million from Kelly.
Blackstock will have custody of the children one weekend every month.
The news comes just weeks after Kelly requested to drop her last name and legally change her name to Kelly Brianne. Her request has been granted.
As for her reasoning for the name change, she wrote in court docs obtained by The Blast, “My new name more fully reflects who I am.”
Kelly Clarkson Files to Change Her Name
View StoryBefore reaching a divorce settlement, Kelly was ordered to pay Brandon nearly $200,000 a month in spousal and child support, but a source told People that the arrangement is “strictly temporary support until a final settlement is worked out.”
Just a day before news broke about the divorce settlement, Kelly made an appearance at the ACM Awards, where she paid tribute to Dolly Parton with her own rendition of “I Will Always Love You.”
Parton reacted to Clarkson’s performance, telling the audience, “I was backstage trying not to cry my false eyelashes off — slinging snot in every direction and tears. But anyway, that was an amazing job!"
Referencing Whitney Houston’s version of the show, which is one of the best-selling singles of all time, Parton added, “I know that Whitney is smiling down on us tonight, so thank you very much — she would be proud of that.”