Report: Kelly Clarkson Asks Court to Declare Her Legally Single Amid Divorce From Brandon Blackstock
Kelly Clarkson has filed a formal legal request for a judge to declare her legally single amid her ongoing divorce from Brandon Blackstock, according to a new report.
TMZ reports that the 39-year-old pop superstar, sometimes country singer and television personality's lawyer, Laura Wasser, filed a formal request in court on Friday (July 2), asking a judge to put aside ongoing issues including a financial settlement and custody of the couple's two children and grant Clarkson's request for a divorce, leaving the other issues to get resolved at a later date.
Clarkson and talent manager Blackstock married in 2013. Clarkson filed for divorce in June of 2020. Blackstock responded to Clarkson's divorce petition on July 21, and the couple initially tried to work out their divorce amicably, citing the best interests of their kids, 7-year-old daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander, 5.
The divorce turned more contentious in September of 2020, when Starstruck Management Group — which Blackstock's father, Narvel Blackstock, founded and where Blacktock works as a talent agent — sued Clarkson, alleging they were owed unpaid commissions exceeding a million dollars. She countersued in December, alleging that Blackstock — who served as her manager throughout their marriage — had defrauded her by overcharging her over the years. She also claimed that Starstruck was not licensed to practice in California, a violation of the California Labor Code. Blackstock denied her claims in legal documents he filed in January of 2021.
A judge awarded Clarkson temporary primary physical custody of the couple's children in November of 2020. According to TMZ, that is likely to become permanent. A judge also previously granted Blackstock temporary spousal support, which is also likely to be permanent until 2023, marking half the length of their marriage. Blackstock is challenging the couple's prenuptial agreement in court, which is one of the issues that has caused their divorce to drag on for more than a year.
Clarkson has been moving on from the marriage in a number of other ways in recent days. Their former 20,000-square-foot mansion in Tennessee sold on June 17, and Clarkson has just purchased a stunning new mansion in an exclusive area of Los Angeles, where she's been living as she focuses on her television work on The Voice and her daytime talk show. Clarkson has also listed her former mansion in California for sale for just under $9 million.