Kelly Clarkson

Born in 1982, Kelly Clarkson went from a small town Texas girl to full fledged superstar after being crowned the first winner of American Idol in 2002.

On the heels of her Idol win, Clarkson found success with her debut single, “A Moment Like This,” but traded the love ballads for rock-pop songs on her second album Breakaway, which produced four No. 1 singles. After releasing her fourth album in the fall 2007, Clarkson embarked on a joint concert tour with country legend Reba McEntire.

While promoting her fourth CD, All I Ever Wanted, Clarkson’s weight came under heavy scrutiny. “I love my body. I’m very much OK with it,” the singer has said in defense of her fuller figure.

After dating for two years, Clarkson tied the knot with Brandon Blackstock in October 2013. They welcomed daughter River in 2014 and son Remington in 2016.

In June 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split. Three months later, the singer ended up in a legal battle when her father-in-law Narvel Blackstock’s company, Starstruck Management, sued her, claiming that she owed them over $1 million in unpaid commissions.

Clarkson filed a petition with the California Labor Commissioner’s the following month in which she claimed her estranged husband and his father defrauded her of millions of dollars by charging her huge fees while she was working with their management company.

Before finalizing their divorce, the Texas native filed a motion for a separate trial to terminate her marital status in July 2021. That same month, she was ordered to pay Blackstock nearly $200,000 per month, including temporary payments of $150,000 each month in spousal support and an extra $45,601 per month for their children.

In August 2021, Clarkson was granted most of the couple’s assets, including the Montana ranch where Blackstock was residing at the time.

Blackstock was allowed to live at the ranch until June 2022 and was ordered to pay his ex-wife $12,500 per month in rent. He moved out of the home that same month and purchased another property in the state.

Clarkson started to host her own talk show in September 2019 titled The Kelly Clarkson Show. The show has since nabbed 13 Daytime Emmys, including the “A Moment Like This” singer’s Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host win three years in a row.

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Two years later, it was announced that The Kelly Clarkson Show would take over the slot for The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2022.