Kelly Clarkson To Pay $1.32 Million In Shocking Divorce Settlement
Avery Gonzales Kelly Clarkson is so moving on from her marriage to Brandon Blackstock after finally reaching a divorce settlement following two years of bitter negotiations. The singer agreed to pay her ex-husband $45,000 a month in child support on top of a massive one-time payment of $1.32 million.
The 39-year-old singer announced her split from the talent manager, 45, after nearly seven years of marriage in June 2020. In January, a source told Us Weekly that Clarkson wouldn’t even “entertain the idea of agreeing to a settlement,” but it looks like she has had a change of heart.
“She is devoting 100 percent of any free time she has preparing for the trial,” the insider said. “When not filming her talk show, she is hunkered down with Laura Wasser.”
Clarkson had worked closely with Wasser, one of the most high-profile divorce attorneys in the entertainment industry, but it's unclear why she ultimately decided to settle.
The terms of the divorce settlement are staggering. Clarkson has agreed to a one-time payment of $1,326,161 in addition to $115,000 per month in spousal support until January 31, 2024.
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The two will share joint custody of their two children, River, 7, and Remington, 5, but will stay in Los Angeles with their mother. Even with joint custody, Clarkson will be paying her former spouse $45,601 per month in child support.
The Since U Been Gone singer will get to keep their Montana ranch that she’s fought so hard for, but Blackstock is allowed to stay until June provided that he pays her $12,500 a month in rent. Clarkson wanted to sell the ranch, but Blackstock was hoping to keep it as he claims that his days in the entertainment industry are over and he had hoped to focus on becoming a rancher.
The ranch is valued at nearly $18 million and costs $81,000 a month to maintain.
Clarkson will also keep the family pets, a baby grand piano, and all the guns she purchased before and during the marriage. Meanwhile, Blackstock gets to keep their farm cattle, livestock, and a variety of hunting-related purchases.
When the couple's romantic partnership ended, so did their business relationship. Blackstock worked as his ex-wife's manager while the two were still married. The American Idol alum has earned an impressive $45 million thanks to her broad range of accomplishments. Meanwhile, Blackstock has earned a respectable $10 million.
