KELLY Clarkson will take to the stage at the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday, singing at the bash for the first time since her divorce from Brandon Blackstock was finalized.
Ahead of the mom-of-two’s performance, take a look inside her lengthy court war with her talent manager ex.
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Kelly, 40, first met her ex-husband, 45, 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.
However, Kelly filed for divorce in June 2020 citing “irreconcilable differences”, while she told viewers of her talk show that she “didn’t see” the split coming.
However, she vowed to protect their two children, daughter River, eight, and son Remington, six, amid the divorce.
BROKEN HOME
Kelly and Brandon’s bitter divorce battle lasted nearly two years as they untangled their seven years of marriage, parenthood, and pricey property.
In March 2022, LA Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon signed off on the terms of the split.
Kelly was granted primary custody of River and Remington.
Brandon meanwhile is also dad to older kids Seth and Savannah from his previous marriage to Melissa Ashworth.
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She also got to keep their sprawling Vintage Valley Ranch in Montana, which is worth a whopping $10.4m.
After allegedly arguing in court that he couldn’t afford to move out and buy his own place, Brandon, who works as a talent manager, has since found new digs in the state.
He was granted custody of the kids one weekend a month.
Kelly sold their former family home in Los Angeles and has since bought her own new place where she lives with their children while hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show.
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CASH SPLASH
Kelly, who has racked up a whopping net worth of around $45m with her chart topping hits and TV career, had signed a prenup with her ex.
But he tried to challenge the pre-marital agreement and even demanded $5.2m a year in spousal support from the star.
A court later ruled Kelly would pay $45,601 a month in child support until River and Remington turn 18, graduate high school, or otherwise become self-supporting.
She was also ordered to pay her ex spousal support of $115,000 monthly until January 2024, in addition to a one-time, tax-free fee of $1,326,161.
After the split was settled, Kelly seemingly made a nod to her ex as she ironically sang I will Always Love You at the ACM Awards.
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OLIVE BRANCH?
Now the proceedings are over, the songstress has since shared some kind words about her former husband.
In a chat with Khloe Kardashian on The Kelly Clarkson Show last month, she reflected on her new life post divorce.
“It’s hard. I think it’s the most ridiculous thing sometimes when something doesn’t work out and you’re in a relationship and you’re so deeply in love, and people are like ‘Oh yeah, why can’t you [move on],”
She explained: “I’m like, I think I might always love that person, I don’t know if it goes away.”
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RAGING ON
Although tensions between her and Brandon appear to have cooled off, Kelly is now facing another lengthy legal battle.
This time, it is Brandon’s father-in-law Narvel, 66, who she will be seeing in court.
Narvel was famously married to country music legend Reba McEntire from 1989 until 2015, and he managed his ex-wife’s music career along with a host of other big names.
Narvel Blackstock’s business, Starstruck Management Group, filed a lawsuit in September 2020, claiming that Kelly owes millions of dollars in unpaid commissions.
The American Idol icon countersued two months later, accusing them of violating the California Labor Code by “procuring, offering, promising, or attempting to procure employment or engagements.”
She also claimed that both Brandon and Narvel acted as unlicensed talent agents, which they have denied.
Kelly further insisted that any and all agreements – including their reported verbal contract in which she agreed to pay them 15 percent commission on her gross earnings – be “declared void and unenforceable.”
The latest court documents filed in LA and seen by The Sun show the families are still at war, with the next hearing in the case not scheduled until March next year.
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C-YA AT THE CMAS?
Kelly will perform at the CMAs on Wednesday, and the ceremony will be broadcast at 8 p.m EST on ABC.
It’s possible she will run into her ex backstage, because the manager’s artist Carly Pearce is up for numerous awards.
However, his former client Blake Shelton has been snubbed from the nominations, much to the upset of many country music fans.
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