Kelly Clarkson files for divorce after 7 years

Kelly Clarkson and husband Brandon Blackstock are going their separate ways.

The singer filed for divorce a week ago in LA County Superior Court. Kelly and Brandon tied the knot in october 2013, in Tennessee. They have 2 children together — 5-year-old, River Rose and 4-year-old, Remington. Brandon has 2 children from a previous relationship.

Citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split, Clarkson requested to not be required to pay Blackstock spousal support.

The filing asks that the singer’s legal last name be Clarkson again and it indicates that the couple had a prenuptial agreement.

Kelly’s filing comes a little over a month after the couple put their L.A. home on the market for $10 million. A listing that now seems pretty clearly tied to the split.

They’re also still trying to unload a Nashville mansion. But that one’s been on the market for nearly 2 years now, so probably not related to their divorce.

Their inner circle had no idea

Those in Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s inner circle say they could have never predicted trouble in paradise. 

“It came out of nowhere,” one insider says. “It’s all so sad for the kids. They were always such a loving family. It never seemed like they had any issues.”

As second insider close to Kelly’s daytime show explains, “Brandon was around all the time on almost all show days and they were very loving towards one another. They drove home from set together every night.”

Describing the news as “quite shocking,” our first source says those who know Kelly and Brandon personally “have been texting each other over their disbelief that the couple is splitting.”

After the coronavirus pandemic forced the American Idol winner to postpone her Las Vegas concert residency in March, she and her family began social distancing on their ranch in Montana.

The 38-year-old continued filming episodes of The Kelly Clarkson Show remotely and gave fans a glimpse into life at home with Brandon and her kids.

“It’s a really beautiful ranch and it’s a nice getaway for our family,” she shared. “It’s something Brandon and I have dreamed about since we were both kids. This is what we would call home.”

Clarkson met the music manager, 43, at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006. They got engaged in December 2012.

Reps for Clarkson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

‘When I met Brandon, I wasn’t looking for a friend’

Most recently, for Clarkson’s 38th birthday in late April, Blackstock and their children made a special video for The Voice coach.

“Happy birthday baby. I love you more than you’ll ever know,” Blackstock said in the footage, which also starred sons Remy and Seth as well as daughter River.

Throughout their marriage, Clarkson has been open about their romance, specifically their sex life. The star previously revealed that she never felt a strong sexual attraction to anyone.

“This isn’t a downer to anybody I dated before him, but I’m just going to be real: I never felt like, honestly, sexually attracted to anybody before him,” Clarkson said during a 2017 SiriusXM interview. “And I’m not downing my exes, you know, everybody’s different. But there was something about him.”

That same year, the American Idol champion opened up to Redbook about her relationship with Blackstock. “To keep it family appropriate, let’s say we’re just a lot more active than other couples,” she said of the pair’s sex life. “I’m a person who loves change. He loves spontaneity. Having a set time or place [to have sex] would be boring to us.”

Speaking about their romance, Clarkson said,

“When I met Brandon, I wasn’t looking for a friend. I have a lot of great friends!”

She gushed, “I was looking for a lover. I had never found someone I was truly passionate about, who I wanted to stay in bed with all day. The fact that I did, well…I was going to latch on and take advantage of that.”

Kelly has yet to publicly comment on the divorce news.