How Much Money Did Brandon Blackstock Get From Kelly Clarkson (And What's His Net Worth)?
When Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock first got together, they were clearly in love. Clarkson revealed that the first time she saw Blackstock in 2006, she had a "carnal attraction" to him that she had "never felt before." However, it would be six years before the two reunited and got engaged in 2012. They would marry in 2013 and have their children, River and Remington, shortly thereafter. The couple appeared to have an all-American family and a great deal of success. But things are not always how they appear to be.
In 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock, citing "irreconcilable differences." Given that they both had money to their name, many thought that this would end up being one of the easier celebrity divorces. But as would be revealed over the next couple of years, their divorce settlement would prove to be anything but amicable. Because of this, the former couple would continue to make headlines until everything was finally settled in the early part of 2022. When the dust settled, Clarkson was lighter emotionally, but she was also monetarily lighter as well.
Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock Had A Messy Divorce
In 2020, amid the pandemic, Clarkson announced that she and Blackstock were separating. This came as a shock to many, given that the month prior to the announcement of divorce, Clarkson had said that Blackstock was her "partner in crime."
"Brandon and I are hustling, definitely, around the ranch, trying to make it happen," Clarkson explained about life during quarantine. "And I 100 percent, none of this would be happening without my partner in crime."
However, those sentiments would quickly fade as the divorce proceedings got underway with issues arising at every turn over custody of the children, property disputes, arguments over alimony, and Blackstock attempting to dispute the prenuptial agreement signed years before.
The first issue that was tackled was over the custody of the children. Clarkson and Blackstock spent several months trying to come to an agreement regarding the terms of custody of River and Remington. Finally, nearly five months after filing for divorce, the Superior Court for the State of California in Los Angeles decided on a custody agreement for the two.
"The Court finds that as this case has proceeded, the level of conflict between the parents has increased," the judge's ruling stated. "The parties have a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them."
It was then that the Court announced that Clarkson would have "primary custody" of the children, with Blackstock getting certain weekends every month as well as a calendar that detailed how holidays were to be handled.
This issue proved to be the easiest of all to settle. As of 2021, property and alimony were still being disputed.
"[Kelly] will not even entertain the idea of settling with Brandon," a source close to Clarkson stated. "He will not get one penny from her that isn't ordered by the judge. It's going to be nasty."
By March 2022, after a lot of mudslinging, the former couple was finally able to call their divorce finalized with what the Court deemed a fair settlement. The Montana ranch that Clarkson wanted to sell would instead be rented out by Blackstock until June 2022, whereupon he would then be required to move out, according to Us Weekly. Blackstock would also be given a five percent stake in the property.
Clarkson was also ordered to pay alimony to Blackstock until January 2024, with a one-time tax-free payment to her ex-husband. This meant that the $200,000 per month she was initially ordered to pay that upset fans so much was terminated.
Child support would also be paid to Blackstock until the children were able to provide for themselves, "reach the age of 18 years old, or graduate high school," whichever comes first.
All of this allowed Clarkson to move on with her life. But in order to get to this point, it cost the Miss Independent singer a lot of cash.
Kelly Clarkson's Divorce Settlement Cost Her Millions
Clarkson has a net worth of $45 million, thanks in part to her highly successful talk show and clocking in as the second-highest American Idol album seller.
Because of this, she was considered the earner of the family and was required to pay Blackstock a sum to care for the children in the manner they were accustomed to.
As such, the Stronger singer not only had to agree to pay child support for the children for years to come, but Clarkson also had to pay a one-time upfront sum to Blackstock as well.
"Clarkson will pay her ex a one-time payment of $1,326,161, as well as monthly payments of $115,000 in spousal support until Jan. 31, 2024, and $45,601 monthly in child support for their two children," court documents revealed.
"Clarkson will also have to pay ...a one-time reimbursement payment of $350,000 for their children's private air travel."
All in all, this means that Clarkson will have paid just under $5 million to Blackstock by the time their children turn 18 years old. And while this is not nearly what Blackstock was asking for to settle their divorce versus taking it to court, it is a hit to the Breakaway singer's fortune while substantially increasing Blackstock's net worth.
Brandon Blackstock Is Said To Be Worth $10 Million
Blackstock is not just Clarkson's ex-husband. He is also a talent manager. And based on the fact that he has a net worth of $10 million, he is successful at his job.
As a result of the divorce settlement between Clarkson and Blackstock, over the course of slightly over a decade, Blackstock's net worth will increase by close to one-third. Of course, much of this money is supposed to be spent on the children as child support. But, it is up to Blackstock what he does with the money once it is received.
Under California law, child support "money is to help pay for the children's living expenses." This means that as long as River and Remington are cared for, Blackstock can use the money he receives for child support as he sees fit.
As such, while there is the expectation that all the money would go to the children with any leftover money being saved for the future, if Blackstock chooses to use it elsewhere, say to grow his net worth, that is his prerogative.
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