Brandon Blackstock has been found to have orchestrated several business deals on behalf of his former wife, Kelly Clarkson, in violation of labor regulations, as determined by a California labor commissioner. In the recent legal dispute between the two, documents obtained by PEOPLE reveal that Blackstock has been ordered to pay Clarkson a sum of $2,641,374. The ruling states that he overstepped his role as a manager by unlawfully securing deals that should have been handled by a licensed talent agent. Blackstock’s legal team has filed an appeal against the decision.
Clarkson, aged 41, alleged in her lawsuit that Blackstock, aged 46, facilitated contracts for her with The Voice, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Norwegian Cruise Line, Wayfair, and the Billboard Music Awards and received fees in return. According to the ruling, Blackstock did not exceed his managerial role with The Kelly Clarkson Show contract. However, the other four deals should have been managed by Clarkson’s team at Creative Artists Agency, according to the Talent Agencies Act (TAA).
Kelly Clarkson and her ex-husband (Credits: Complex)
The documents reveal that Blackstock received commissions for each of Clarkson’s projects, including $1,983,155.70 for her role as a coach on The Voice, $208,125 for a promotional deal with NCL, $450,000 for a collaboration with Wayfair, and $93.30 for her multi-year contract as the host of the Billboard Music Awards. All these amounts must now be reimbursed to the “Miss Independent” singer.
Representatives for Clarkson have not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment on the matter.
Clarkson and Blackstock were married for almost seven years before she filed for divorce in June 2020, with the divorce finalized two years later. The couple shares two children, daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander. Blackstock also has two children, a son named Seth and a daughter Savannah, from his previous marriage to Melissa Ashworth.
In a March episode of Angie Martinez’s IRL podcast, Clarkson discussed the impact of her divorce on their children. She mentioned that she regularly asks her children about their happiness and acknowledges their feelings, especially their desire for her and Blackstock to be in the same house. Clarkson empathized, noting her own experience growing up in a divorced family and acknowledging the challenges it brings.
