After Kelly Clarkson filed to end her marriage to Brandon Blackstock in 2020, it took over a year for the couple to come to an agreement on issues like custody of their two children, property ownership and past business deals. Now, two years since they did finalize their divorce, Clarkson’s ex-husband has been ordered to pay her over $2 million in fees he collected from booking several jobs while acting as her manager — despite the fact that she’s still on the hook for child and spousal support.
Even after coming to terms on their divorce, the legal battles waged on between the talk show host and the Blackstock family, with Brandon and his father Narvel Blackstock saying Kelly Clarkson owed them over $5 million in unpaid commissions. Clarkson countered that their agreement was “unenforceable,” and it seems the court agrees. Per TMZ, a California labor commissioner has now ruled that Blackstock must repay $2,641,374 in fees he collected from booking several jobs for Clarkson as her manager.
Only agents — not managers — can lawfully secure roles for talent, according to the ruling. Billboard reports that Kelly Clarkson’s former husband was ordered to refund $1,983,155.70 for securing the artist’s role as a coach on The Voice; $208,125 for a deal with Norwegian Cruise Lines; $450,000 for an agreement to promote Wayfair; and $93.30 from her hosting gig at the Billboard Music Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Those were deals that should have been handled by her talent agency Creative Artists Agency, said Labor Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower.
The commissioner, however, ruled in favor of Brandon Blackstock when it came to commissions earned for helping to get her The Kelly Clarkson Show, as Lilia Garcia-Brower said that work was done “at the request of CAA” and therefore did not violate the law.
So it looks like money will continue to change hands between the exes, but it won’t just be Kelly Clarkson writing the checks. Per the terms of their divorce settlement, the American Idol champ agreed to pay over $45,000 monthly in child support, and the order to pay $115,000 a month in spousal support (down from the original ruling of $150,000) expires in January 2024.
The “Since U Been Gone” singer has been fighting with Starstruck Management, which is owned by Narvel Blackstock, since 2020, as the firm filed a major lawsuit against Kelly Clarkson in the months after she separated from Brandon Blackstock. Could the ruling mean she can finally put this chapter in the rearview mirror?
It’s been an intense couple of years for Kelly Clarkson, and she poured all of the emotions from her big breakup into her songwriting, reportedly penning around 60 songs in the aftermath of the split. She then picked a fraction of those — the ones that didn’t go too far for her kids to hear — and released the album chemistry in June 2023.
The singer also changed her name to Kelly Brianne, quit The Voice, moved The Kelly Clarkson Show to the East Coast and lost about 40 pounds. She’s been open about the struggles she’s faced and the toll her divorce took on her and her children, but hopefully with this legal battle seemingly behind her, she can continue to get closure and move forward.
