Kelly Clarkson may now be Miss Independent, but she can’t fully break away from her estranged husband. The singer and TV host has been ordered to pay Brandon Blackstock nearly $200,000 per month in support amid their ongoing divorce, after they filed over a year ago in June 2020, according to the Blast. The money comes out to $150,000 in spousal support and $45,601 in child support for their two children, River and Remington, of whom Clarkson has primary physical custody. People previously reported in November 2020 that Blackstock sought more than double that amount in support, $436,000 per month. (Clarkson has celebrity divorce attorney Laura Wasser, who is representing her, to thank for the decrease.) The order for support came down on July 27 in Los Angeles County Court, and also requires Clarkson to pay Blackstock $1.25 million to cover attorney fees and ongoing costs in the divorce.
According to the Blast, the filing lists Clarkson’s monthly earnings as over $1.5 million, making the $195,000 to Blackstock just a small dent. Blackstock previously worked as Clarkson’s manager since 2007, alongside his father Narvel (the ex-husband of Reba McEntire), and in the wake of their divorce, Clarkson has also accused the team of fraud, arguing they worked as her managers without talent agent licenses and owe her millions. (He denied the claims in a subsequent filing, per Us Weekly.) According to the new divorce filing, Blackstock has “made a very deliberate choice to change his life and become a rancher full-time,†and will be leaving management — aside from the “minimal time†he spends working with his sole client, Blake Shelton. As part of Blackstock’s plans, he will keep the couple’s Montana ranch, which Clarkson previously wanted to sell, and be responsible for around $81,000 per month in payments for the mortgage and upkeep.
According to TMZ, Clarkson asked a judge at the beginning of July to declare her legally single, ahead of ironing out details like spousal support. The outlet said Blackstock has claimed the couple’s prenup is invalid, which is sure to drag out their divorce further. In the meantime, the $200,000 in support is a temporary number, according to the Blast, that could change as the former couple finalize the rest of their divorce in court.