Who is Kelly Clarkson and why did she divorce her husband, Brandon Blackstock?

SINGER, songwriter, and TV star, Kelly Clarkson finalized her divorce from former husband, Brandon Blackstock, in March 2022.
Clarkson filed for divorce in 2020 – after seven years of marriage – citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Kelly Clarkson and ex-husband Brandon Blackstock tied the knot in 2013Credit: Getty Images
Who is Kelly Clarkson?
Kelly Clarkson rose to fame in 2002 after winning the first season of American Idol at the early age of 20.
She was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 24, 1982, and is an icon in the music industry.
Kelly is well-known for top hits such as Since U Been Gone, Behind These Hazel Eyes, and Stronger.
She has over 13million monthly listeners on Spotify and is rated number 369th in the world by the music streaming service.

She has won numerous awards including:
Two American Country Awards
Three GRAMMY Awards
Three MTV Video Music Awards
Four American Music Awards
Five Daytime Emmy Awards
Kelly also made a name for herself in the TV industry after serving as a coach on The Voice for eight seasons and has, since 2019, hosted her own talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show.
On February 9, 2023, Kelly is hosting the 12th annual NFL Honors – making her the first woman in history to do so.
When did Kelly meet Brandon Blackstock?
Kelly met her music manager and ex-husband, Brandon, backstage at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006.
The pair got engaged in December 2012 and married a year later at a luxury estate in Tennessee.

While together, the native Texan often gushed about her former partner.
She once opened up to Redbook, saying: “When I met Brandon, I wasn’t looking for a friend. I have a lot of great friends! I was looking for a lover.
“I had never found someone I was truly passionate about, who I wanted to stay in bed with all day.
“The fact that I did, well … I was going to latch on and take advantage of that.”

Shortly after Kelly got her own NBC, she listed her $10million Los Angeles home and relocated her family to Tennessee in 2020 so that she could film her daytime talk show.
“[The show is] a dream I never had but didn’t know I loved—and wanted!” she told Parade.

Kelly Clarkson shares two children with ex-husband, Brandon BlackstockCredit: Refer to Caption
Why did Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock divorce?
Brandon, 45, is a talent manager in the country music business who has managed Blake Shelton and Rascal Flatts.
He co-owns Starstruck Management Company with his father Narvel Blackstock, who also once managed Clarkson.

Clarkson cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their divorce back in 2020.
A source revealed to ET that the pair decided to call it quits “after realizing the relationship hasn’t been working for a while.”
“Kelly and Brandon work together non-stop and that became a contention in their relationship,” the source said.
“Brandon is the EP of her show as well as her manager. Also, Kelly has always brought up wanting more children, which Brandon doesn’t.”

On March 8, 2022, nearly two years later, TMZ reported that the former couple had reached a settlement.
Clarkson kept their Montana ranch home they once shared, noting that Blackstock must pay her $12,500 a month in rent.
TMZ also revealed that despite Brandon challenging their prenup, the judge affirmed its validity.
Brandon was granted spousal support of $115,000 a month, but that will come to an end in January 2024.

The judge legally removed Blackstock from Kelly’s name, and she now legally goes by Kelly Brianne aside from still going as Kelly Clarkson professionally.
How many children do they have together?
Blackstock and Clarkson, who tied the knot in 2013, have two children together: daughter, River Rose, and son, Remington Alexander.
Blackstock is also father to son, Seth, and daughter, Savannah, from a previous marriage.
According to court documents obtained by ET, Clarkson requested joint legal and physical custody of their two kids.

On March 8, it was revealed by TMZ that the custody agreements ruled in Clarkson’s favor.
Clarkson will have primary custody of their two kids unless Brandon moves out of the state of Montana then the terms will be renegotiated.