Why Kelly Clarkson Is Reportedly Refusing To Be ‘Weighed Down by Grudges’ With Ex Brandon Blackstock

Kelly Clarkson went through tough times in her divorce from Brandon Blackstock. It wasn’t a simple follow-the-prenup type of split, the former music manager kept dragging the “Since U Been Gone” singer back to court over every minute detail. The good news is that her divorce was finalized in March 2022 and the former couple is reportedly finding common ground for the sake of their two kids, daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remington, 8. 

Clarkson and Blackstock are “being more amicable now and co-parenting with consideration,” according to a Life & Style insider. “They probably won’t be breaking bread, but they can see eye to eye about the kids and are generally pleasant to one another.” Their split took such a toll on the talk show host that she needed a fresh start and hightailed it back to the East Coast. 

She moved her daytime talk show to New York City for her next chapter. “I’ll be real honest: I thought I was making a horrible decision,” Clarkson told USA Today in October 2023. “I knew I needed a fresh start and couldn’t be in LA.” The 42-year-old pop star confirmed that she made the right move immediately after she landed in Manhattan. “I feel like a weight has lifted. That move was very needed,” she added.

The trickiest part of Clarkson’s divorce from Blackstock was dismantling their professional relationship since he was her music manager. After their divorce was settled, they continued to battle over the commissions she paid to her ex — and she won in November 2023. The California labor commissioner ruled in her favor, accusing Blackstock of acting as an unlicensed talent agent in the state. California has strict rules about how managers and talent agents can operate, and their job scope is vastly different. As a result he owed her $2,641,374 which was appealed by his legal team and eventually settled confidentially. 

Clarkson first met in 2006 at the Country Music Awards when he was married to his first wife, Melissa Ashworth. The duo reunited at the 2012 Super Bowl after his divorce — and it seems that Blake Shelton was their matchmaker. They got engaged just 10 months later and were married in 2013 with a stunning Tennessee wedding at Blackberry Farms.

As time heals all wounds, the Life & Style source noted how good Clarkson feels now that the worst is behind her. “Kelly’s at a place in her life where she’s so happy and fulfilled,” they said. “There’s no reason to hang on to grudges and let herself be weighed down by bitterness.”

Before you go, click here to see the longest celebrity divorces that took years to get finalized.