Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock's divorce—why they broke up and their final settlement

Kelly Clarkson's divorce from Brandon Blackstock is finally official. But after seven years of marriage and two beautiful children, why did they divorce, and what spousal support does Brandon Blackstock get?

Only days after history was made when Kelly Clarkson paid ‘legendary’ tribute to Dolly Parton with a magical ACMs performance, the singer's divorce saga ended.

It's easy to see why Kelly Clarkson ‘can’t even imagine’ getting married again, after her lengthy divorce proceedings. It all began back in June 2020 when it was revealed that the Stronger singer had filed for divorce from her music manager husband Brandon.

Described by the star as, "The worst thing ever for everyone involved", the proceedings took over a year to be resolved. A judge is understood to have signed off on a legal dissolution of Kelly and Brandon's marriage in August 2021 and declared the American Idol star a single woman. 

Despite her personal sadness, having been confirmed for the Ellen DeGeneres Show's primetime slot, Kelly's career has continued going from strength to strength. 

Now things have been finalized and a settlement agreed—fans are curious why Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock got divorced and what their divorce settlement was.

Why did Kelly Clarkson get divorced?

Kelly Clarkson's divorce proceedings from Brandon Blackstock started back in June 2020 when she filed and it's understood to have cited “irreconcilable differences” in the papers. According to Us Weekly, a source claimed to the publication in June 2020 that Kelly and Brandon's time in quarantine made them see things differently. 

“They clashed on so many levels, and being in quarantine together heightened their problems to the point of no return. So she filed for divorce,” they alleged.

Although Kelly said she’ll never be 'truly open' about their break-up for the sake of their children, the TV host did allude to one possible reason behind her divorce during a segment on her show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, about what she’d learned in 2020.

Despite branding the tumultuous year a “dumpster fire” and an “emotional rollercoaster,” Kelly revealed she did take some positives from 2020, and the personal growth she experienced.

She explained, "I'm grateful in 2020 for the lesson I learned about… myself. Even at 38, I feel like I'm always changing and progressing in a good sense, in a good way. And I always want to make sure I'm being the best version of myself.”

Kelly also revealed that her mother, Jeanne, always told the singer to surround herself with positive people. And that's not all, as the singer also hinted that the couple were simply on “different paths”.

"My mom has been telling me since I was a kid: You are who you surround yourself with," Kelly explained. “You want to make sure you're surrounded by people that also want to be the best versions of themselves and also want a good common goal for everyone, not just themselves, right?"

The TV host added, “People, like, could be bad for you in a certain time. And I think that everybody just goes, 'Oh, well that means they're bad.' Well it doesn't necessarily mean that, it just means that you're on different paths."

"And I think that that's okay. Everybody's on a different learning curve." 

How much does Kelly Clarkson have to pay Brandon Blackstock in their divorce settlement?

After what seemed like an endless battle between the former couple, Kelly Clarkson's divorce settlement was agreed.

Per CNN, Kelly will pay a monthly child support payment for her two children with Brandon—an eye-watering $45,601 per month. This is despite her having primary custody of their daughters.

As well as this, the American Idol star, hit singer, and talk show host has to make a one-time payment of $1.3M. On top of this, she has to pay $115,000 in monthly spousal support until January 31, 2024.

Did Kelly Clarkson have a prenup? 

Although many Hollywood A-listers are known to have signed prenuptial agreements marriages, it wasn't initially clear whether the former couple had.

It came to light that there was in fact a prenup when it was reported that Brandon had contested the former couple’s prenup and instead argued that any income earned during the years they were married should be split between them.

However, back in August 2021, Kelly won big when a judge upheld that agreement in full. Per Vulture, this agreement allowed Clarkson, "to claim all the assets she purchased and paid for during the marriage, to the disappointment of Blackstock, who had been arguing for a more even split.”

Who is Kelly Clarkson's husband, Brandon Blackstock?

Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband is music manager Brandon Blackstock, whose clients have included Blake Shelton and Rascal Flatts. His first marriage was to Melissa Ashworth, with whom he shares two children, an eighteen-year-old daughter Savannah and a thirteen-year-old son Seth. 

Brandon is the son of Narvel Blackstock, who is Kelly Clarkson's ex-manager, and through Narvel is also the former stepson of Country Music legend Reba McEntire. 

How long was Kelly Clarkson married?

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock had been married for seven years before she filed for divorce. Their wedding was held at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee and Kelly took to social media to share a sweet snap of the couple's big day. 

Alongside a stunning picture of the bride and groom, beaming on a bridge decorated with fairy lights, Kelly wrote, "I'm officially Mrs. Blackstock :) We got married yesterday at Blackberry Farms in TN, the most beautiful place ever!"

How many kids does Kelly Clarkson have?

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock have two children together, six-year-old daughter River Rose and four-year-old son, Remington Alexander.  When the former couple wed, Kelly also became a devoted stepmom to Brandon's two older children, Savannah and Seth Blackstock. 

According to The Sun, a court document suggested the couple were not seeing eye-to-eye around the plans for their children. It is said to have read, "The level of conflict between the parents has increased. The parties have a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them".

How did Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock meet?

Kelly Clarkson met Brandon Blackstock, back in 2006, at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006. It was Brandon’s dad Narvel who first introduced the future couple. Kelly and Brandon became friends, though romance wasn't on the cards when they initially met as Brandon was married to Melissa Ashworth. 

Instead, Brandon and Kelly went on to reconnect years later at the Super Bowl. Speaking to People after her and Brandon announced their engagement, the singer revealed, "He’d been divorced for a year, and it was kind of like, ‘Is this too soon?’ But it just worked.” 

The couple got engaged in 2012 and went on to tie the knot in October 2013. Now all this time later their divorce is finally official and the two are set to embrace their fresh starts.