Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock‘s down-to-earth and somewhat private romance captivated fans for years ahead of the 2020 split, after the pair took their professional relationship to the next level in the mid-2000s.
The American Idol alum and the manager began dating in 2011 and things moved pretty quickly from then. The couple announced their engagement in December 2012 and tied the knot less than one year later.
Within months, Clarkson welcomed the pair’s first child together, daughter River, in June 2014. She went on to give birth to son Remington in April 2016. (Blackstock also shares daughter Savannah and son Seth with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth.)
The “Since U Been Gone” singer was known for her honest and open nature when it comes to revealing secrets about the pair’s relationship over the years. “Goodness, no! Brandon is not my other half. He’s a whole and I’m a whole,” she explained in her May 2015 Redbook cover story. “I’ve never believed in someone taking care of me, and that’s probably because I grew up poor and without a lot of family stability.”
The duo had plenty in common too. “We both love getting out in nature, we love the country and we are not really city people,” she told Us Weekly in December 2019. “It is nice to go out and have your kids do stuff outside and in nature. So that is what we will be doing the whole time. You won’t find me. I will be lost in a ranch!”
Clarkson and Blackstock also enjoyed one-on-one activities. “Any time we’re in a discussion about sex with a bunch of couples, Brandon and I stay pretty quiet. To keep it family appropriate, let’s say we’re just a lot more active than other couples,” she admitted to Redbook in 2017. “I’m a person who loves change. He loves spontaneity. Having a set time or place [to have sex] would be boring to us.”
The Voice coach made headlines again in December 2019 when she revealed how often the twosome had sex. “How one makes children is generally what I do before bed,” she said on The Kelly Clarkson Show at the time.
However, she filed for divorce in June 2020. “They clashed on so many levels, and being in quarantine together [during the coronavirus pandemic] heightened their problems to the point of no return,” a source exclusively told Us at the time.
“Everyone thought Kelly and Brandon had the perfect marriage, but they definitely didn’t,” the insider added. “Brandon’s very laid-back, whereas Kelly’s pretty high-strung.”
After a messy back and forth, the twosome were declared legally single in August 2021. The following March, a judge signed off on the pair’s settlement.
Scroll through the gallery below to look back at Clarkson and Blackstock’s relationship through the years:
