The original winner of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, continues to deal with messy divorce proceedings over one year after filing for divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock.
The estranged couple and parents of two children, River Rose, 7, and Remington Alexander, 5, have been communicating mainly in court.
The latest court proceeding requested by Clarkson is to legally restore her maiden name and grant a default judgement to make her officially divorced.
Kelly Clarkson Reportedly Asks Judge To Legally Restore Her Last Name Amid Brandon Blackstock Divorce https://t.co/RspU9XYFTf pic.twitter.com/iXGZqg6TAy
— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) August 12, 2021
Money issues have been the root cause of the couple’s post-separation issues.
Here are 3 things to know about their legal proceedings.
1. Clarkson Pays Blackstone A Hefty Monthly Check
Until the divorce is finalized, Clarkson is paying Blackstone nearly $200,000 per month in spousal and child support.
Blackstone claims his earnings are now $10,000 per month as he is leaving the music industry behind to embark on a career as a rancher.
During this time, Black Shelton is still technically being managed by Blackstone.
Clarkson is reportedly making $1.5 million per month.
The couple had a prenuptial agreement so Clarkson is eager to finalize the divorce and operate under the terms of the prenup.
2. Clarkson Will Not Pay For Blackstone’s Montana Ranch
Kelly Clarkson was definitely bringing home the bacon. https://t.co/pdk07XETn4
— TMZ (@TMZ) August 10, 2021
The ranch’s monthly expenses are reportedly $81,000 per month.
This is Blackstone’s primary residence, and the judge upheld Clarkson’s request not to be responsible for these expenses in addition to everything else she is paying.
3. Clarkson Is Responsible For Blackstone’s Legal Fees
Besides funding 70% of the couple’s children’s private school tuition, Clarkson will pony up approximately $1.25 million for Blackstone’s attorneys fees when the divorce is ultimately completed.
Conclusion
Clarkson is a true entertainer.
She is able to put on a smiling face and bubbly demeanor each day on her talk show and as a judge on The Voice.
This legal wrangling has been going on for over a year and is stressful.
Clearly Clarkson is the more successful member of the couple so she would be expected to pay more, but this has to be more than even she expected.
It does not make sense why everything is taking so long to finalize.
Kelly Clarkson’s split from Brandon Blackstock is providing the singer with a lot of material for her next album as the pair battle it out in court. https://t.co/piOcMzmX4F
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) August 8, 2021
An insider recently left us in on how Clarkson is dealing with this.
“She never wanted it to get nasty, never wanted it to be a thing that she will have to deal with for a long time, but it is now a part of her everyday life. She thinks it is crazy that she has to spend so much money in support. Her work is keeping her busy and away from it for a period of time in the day but it’s always in the back of her mind and it is clearly upsetting…It is a very stressful and emotional time,” the source added. “We are almost certain to get some interesting music from it all.”
The only silver lining is that we may get some interesting Clarkson music as a result of all that has happened in her life over the past year.
Hope her divorce gets finalized soon and she can live in peace!