Breaking Down Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s Divorce Settlement: Rent, Child Support and More

Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Breaking Down Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock's Divorce Settlement: Rent, Child Support and More

It's settled. Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock finalized their divorce on March 8, 2022, after two years of tension with the pair having reached settlements on everything from custody to their Montana property. Us Weekly confirmed in June 2020 that the American Idol winner filed for divorce after nearly seven years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences," after spending a few months quarantined together for a few months at their Montana home. "They clashed on so many levels and being in quarantine together heightened their problems to the point of no return," a source told Us at the time. The pair have spent much of the time since hammering out the details of their divorce settlement. “She will not even entertain the idea of settling with Brandon,” a source close to Clarkson told Us in January 2022. “He will not get one penny from her that isn’t ordered by the judge. It’s going to be nasty.” The insider continued: "She is devoting 100 percent of any free time she has preparing for the trial. When not filming her talk show, she is hunkered down with [attorney] Laura Wasser." Amid the divorce drama, the Kelly Clarkson Show host filed to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne in February 2022. According to court documents, she wanted to choose a name that "more reflects who I am" in the wake of her split. [jwplayer yjY0TBau-zhNYySv2] After tying the knot in October 2013, the former couple welcomed daughter River, now 7, and son Remington, now 5. The couple agreed on a custody arrangement in November 2020 but dividing up their financial assets proved more difficult. In particular, the "Piece by Piece" singer and Blackstock have disagreed over what to do about their Montana ranch, which she originally wished to sell. Blackstock previously testified that he wanted to leave the entertainment industry behind and become a full-time rancher, claiming that he needed the ranch for his business. In August 2021, a judge ruled that the Texas native was responsible for the costs of maintaining the ranch. If he failed to make said payments, Clarkson would be allowed to sell the property. Five months later, the Voice coach agreed to give her ex-husband a 5.12 percent share of the Montana property, equaling $908,800 of its total $17,750,000 value. Clarkson was also prevented from having Blackstock evicted from the ranch. “He has been living in it and said he doesn’t have the financial means to afford to purchase a residence of his own at this time, citing the unresolved financial aspect of their divorce,” an insider told Us in December 2021. As part of their finalized settlement, Blackstock will remain on the property until June 2022 and will pay the "Miss Independent" singer rent to cover maintenance costs until he moves. Keep scrolling to see the full breakdown of Clarkson and Blackstock's divorce settlement: [podcast_block]

Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Breaking Down Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock's Divorce Settlement: Rent, Child Support and More

It's settled. Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock finalized their divorce on March 8, 2022, after two years of tension with the pair having reached settlements on everything from custody to their Montana property. Us Weekly confirmed in June 2020 that the American Idol winner filed for divorce after nearly seven years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences," after spending a few months quarantined together for a few months at their Montana home. "They clashed on so many levels and being in quarantine together heightened their problems to the point of no return," a source told Us at the time. The pair have spent much of the time since hammering out the details of their divorce settlement. “She will not even entertain the idea of settling with Brandon,” a source close to Clarkson told Us in January 2022. “He will not get one penny from her that isn’t ordered by the judge. It’s going to be nasty.” The insider continued: "She is devoting 100 percent of any free time she has preparing for the trial. When not filming her talk show, she is hunkered down with [attorney] Laura Wasser." Amid the divorce drama, the Kelly Clarkson Show host filed to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne in February 2022. According to court documents, she wanted to choose a name that "more reflects who I am" in the wake of her split. [jwplayer yjY0TBau-zhNYySv2] After tying the knot in October 2013, the former couple welcomed daughter River, now 7, and son Remington, now 5. The couple agreed on a custody arrangement in November 2020 but dividing up their financial assets proved more difficult. In particular, the "Piece by Piece" singer and Blackstock have disagreed over what to do about their Montana ranch, which she originally wished to sell. Blackstock previously testified that he wanted to leave the entertainment industry behind and become a full-time rancher, claiming that he needed the ranch for his business. In August 2021, a judge ruled that the Texas native was responsible for the costs of maintaining the ranch. If he failed to make said payments, Clarkson would be allowed to sell the property. Five months later, the Voice coach agreed to give her ex-husband a 5.12 percent share of the Montana property, equaling $908,800 of its total $17,750,000 value. Clarkson was also prevented from having Blackstock evicted from the ranch. “He has been living in it and said he doesn’t have the financial means to afford to purchase a residence of his own at this time, citing the unresolved financial aspect of their divorce,” an insider told Us in December 2021. As part of their finalized settlement, Blackstock will remain on the property until June 2022 and will pay the "Miss Independent" singer rent to cover maintenance costs until he moves. Keep scrolling to see the full breakdown of Clarkson and Blackstock's divorce settlement: [podcast_block]

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Custody

Per court documents obtained by Us, Clarkson will have primary custody of River and Remington, but they will stay with Blackstock one weekend a month in Montana or whenever he is in Los Angeles. However, if he moves to a different state, the custody agreement will be reevaluated.

Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Child Support

The "Since U Been Gone" performer agreed to pay $45,601 a month in child support until the kids "reach the age of eighteen," graduate high school or otherwise become self-supporting.

Credit: Matt Baron/Shutterstock

Spousal Support

In addition to child support, Clarkson agreed to pay her ex-husband spousal support of $115,000 monthly until January 2024. She was also asked to pay a one-time, tax-free fee of $1,326,161.

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The Montana Ranch

Blackstock is allowed to stay at their highly contested Montana ranch until June 2022 but will be required to pay around $12,000 a month and cover all utilities while he lives on the property. He is also required to cover all costs related to his cattle business. After he moves to another home, Blackstock will have 10 days to move all of his belongings — including everything related to his business — off the property and needs to have permission in order to visit the ranch.  

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Their Other Properties

In addition to their Montana home and ranch, Clarkson will also retain ownership of their home in California, where she lives with River and Remington while filming The Kelly Clarkson Show.