Kelly Clarkson’s marriage fell apart in lockdown, it ‘was actually detrimental’

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Maybe it speaks to Kelly Clarkson’s popularity within the music and entertainment industry that her divorce filing was, at most, a one-day story. I’m pretty sure there’s some salacious tea involved with Kelly filing for divorce from Brandon Blackstock, but no one is saying much of anything, and I think that’s out of respect for Kelly. It’s an interesting change, because recent celebrity-divorce announcements have been full of drama. So what’s the official word about Kelly and Brandon? They were having problems before the pandemic and the lockdown only made it worse.

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock hoped things would work out between them, but quarantine only made things worse. A source tells ET that some of the couple’s friends were surprised by the news that the “Since U Been Gone” singer filed for divorce, but “those closest to them know it’s been difficult.”

The source says: “Kelly and Brandon had been having problems for several months and were making a conscious effort to work things out. They both hoped quarantining away from L.A. in Montana would help them work things out in their marriage, but instead the change in environment was actually detrimental. The constant time together seemed to make an already challenging situation worse,” they note, adding that The Voice coach’s career “definitely helped to keep her mind off things, but this recent downtime gave her the time she needed to think about her life and her marriage.”

The source also says Clarkson started the divorce process “they’d both been dreading” a few weeks ago, after “Kelly knew she just needed to follow her heart and finally realized divorce was her only option.”

“Kelly and Brandon haven’t cut each other off; they are still talking to one another. They are both heartbroken, but their plan is to put the kids first,” the source adds. “Their focus is on co-parenting and moving forward, as this is the last place they ever thought they would be. They both understand divorce is never easy for children, but Kelly and Brandon are great parents. It’ll just take time.”

The source says Clarkson “has always been a very organized businesswoman, so her decision to have a prenup just reflects that and protects her earnings. Kelly is very kindhearted, generous and giving, so Brandon will be just fine.”

ET confirmed on Thursday that the singer filed for divorce June 4, with Clarkson citing irreconcilable differences in her filing. According to court documents obtained by ET, she listed the separation date as “TBD” and asked for joint legal and physical custody of River and Remington. Clarkson also asked the court to terminate the ability to award spousal support to Blackstock. She is asking the court enforce their premarital agreement and that both parties cover their own attorney’s fees. She’s also asking that her last name legally be restored to Clarkson, after taking Blackstock’s name. Property and asset division are unknown at this time and will be determined at a later date.

[From ET]

I’m proud of Kelly for being so organized, for having a prenup and for asking the court to enforce it. Curious that she asked the court to not award spousal support to Brandon – perhaps the particular financials are still TBD as well, and it’s possible Kelly will offer him more of a “one time deal,” a settlement with no spousal support. That seems entirely possible, especially if he promises to be discreet and he signs a NDA. As for the idea that this is a “corona divorce,” I do think it’s completely legit that all of these celebrities (and many non-celebs) are not used to spending this much time with their families and spouses, and there will be a very real spike in divorces this year and next.

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24 Responses to “Kelly Clarkson’s marriage fell apart in lockdown, it ‘was actually detrimental’”

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  1. Tok says:

    I’m finding this reason of “not used to spend this much time together” that causes divorce very interesting. Most people, middle and lower classes, who cannot afford separate bedrooms (forget separate houses!) get married with a full understanding that they are doing it to be together. To live together, to spend a lot of time together. Otherwise, what really IS the point of getting married? You can just cohabitate. Or continue dating forever. So why do wealthy people and especially celebrities who need their time apart ever marry? Seriously, you can always register children under your names as parents and all. Why get married if you can afford not to?

    • SShehheh says:

      Some people still believe in the institution of marriage. Everyone paints a rosy picture of themselves during the dating phase. People with money can put on an amazing facade…. so two people who think they’re compatible get blinded by the bling.

      • Tok says:

        @SSHEHHEH, I mean, what does that rosy picture consists of these days? This is not the 19th century anymore. I’m seriously asking – what does “the institution of marriage” mean today if not the idea that you will be together forever? A beautiful wedding ceremony? Because other than that and the (extremely few) tax perks, along with the division of the assets that ensures both partners’ financial security, I cannot think of what else the institution of marriage mean today.

    • helonearth says:

      The majority of people spend more time with their work colleagues than their partner. It shouldn’t be a surprise then that lockdown for an extended period can lead to friction and / or make any issues already there worse. It really doesn’t matter if you are a celeb or not.

      • Tok says:

        @HELONEARTH, (your nickname says it all!) do you think it can still count as marriage if two people prefer to spend more time with others than their husband/wife? It seems that cohabitating makes more sense and for people who were financially fine before they got married, it makes zero sense to get married. Why did Kelly (or Kim for example) do it is beyond me.

    • minx says:

      I’ve been married 41 years, two kids, and I definitely need my alone time. We’ve been managing the quarantine but it has been a little too much togetherness. Marrying someone doesn’t mean you want to spend every minute of every day with them.

      • Tok says:

        Yeah, I agree with a little too much togetherness! My point is why getting married these days if you can afford not to, because it’s obvious people don’t need nor care to stick together (the way they used to in the past)? After 40 years of marriage though, it makes more sense – you do need someone as you get older.

      • LAR says:

        I got married because my husband and I wanted to make the commitment and form a family unit. We did cohabit and don’t believe that marriage is necessary if you don’t want to, but we wanted to. We don’t need to spend every waking moment together, but we like each other’s company and spend lots of time together. The enforced coronavirus togetherness has been fine. To each their own, but I don’t think that all people just get married for the wedding or for the financial benefits or because they are expected to.

    • mel says:

      Well yes and no. People often don’t work together, can have non-overlapping schedules etc. I agree that celebrities are in a different world in that they have TONS of space to cohabitate. For me (and i know many others) partnership is a balance between time together, time solo and time with friends outside the relationship. I know other couples do more together, but every couple is different wrt how much time they spend together/apart. Of course with kids, i think there’s more inherent need to spend time together but even then…every family is different. And covid has forced many to spend waaaaay more time together than normal.

    • tcbc says:

      Health insurance is a great reason, even for rich people.

    • ClaireB says:

      Cosign to all the “marriage doesn’t mean spending 24/7 with your spouse.” My husband and I were already having difficulties and are currently in counseling, separately. He started counseling with the intention of us going together, but the woman he’s seeing says she is not ready for us to come in together yet. Our marriage wasn’t great, but it was improving. Then, along came Covid, and he started working from home and our 3 children have been home from school since March, and it has been very difficult. I am an introvert who’s had a total of 3 hours alone in the last 12 weeks and I can’t believe I haven’t lost my mind yet. My husband being home all the time is on my nerves and I’m seeing all sorts of little habits and quirks that I shouldn’t because he should be at work, and none of this is doing our marriage any good at all. If I had Kelly Clarkson’s resources, I’d be calling a divorce lawyer too.

    • SilverPoodle says:

      I don’t think there is a whole lot of difference between being married and cohabitating. I’ve been married (hated it) and now I’m in a 20 year relationship. We’ve been living together for 18 years. I don’t want to be married, I don’t want that legal link to anyone. I have my own money and he has his. We have done our estate planning / wills. We are solid…our families have finally stopped asking about marriage. We may rethink things once we are both retired, but for now we are an unmarried married couple. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    • Ange says:

      For a start that’s working off the faulty assumption that everyone going after marriage is in it for the right reasons. I think especially in celebrity marriages there is a decent percentage of people who have ulterior motive whether they want to admit it or not.

  2. whatWHAT? says:

    I read “Kelly and Brandon”

    and all I could think was 90210.

  3. Lotus says:

    I like Kelly she seems like a down to earth person. I can’t explain why but he always gave a bad vibe. That being said being trapped in a one room house in Montana may make want to kill anybody.

  4. Holly hobby says:

    He’s her manager and also is involved with her business ventures. Unless he’s no longer a part of that, he’s already getting paid by her.

  5. Lua says:

    I work a day job and my husband works a night job. I know a lot of people who aren’t rich that do that. If we weren’t both essential and had to quarantine we probably would be annoyed at the loss of alone time as well 😅

  6. AppleTartin says:

    When your normal gets turned on its head it’s hard for people to adjust. Also how many rumors have there been on him cheating on her. He was married when he met her. I assume there was some crossover in their relationship at first.

    Maybe she thought if taking away any temptations geographically they would reconcile. Probably just made them realize they aren’t compatible. From all accounts he is a good Father so there is that. In the long run she will be healthier and happier for her and her kids.

    • Christin says:

      When I heard about the Montana move, my thoughts went to those past rumors.

      He basically made his name with her career, I assume. His dad was a guitar player in Reba’s hand who was promoted to her manager just before their relationship became public. If it were not for that little history, I doubt these two would have ever gotten together in the first place.

      I hope she sticks to the pre-nup. It would not surprise me to see this guy “mentoring” a young singer in the near future. That’s just a vibe I get.

  7. helonearth says:

    @tok no idea why people still want to get married – I’m not and very happy 🙂

    I don’t think its a preference to spend less time with your partner but a requirement of working, unless you are both in the same business.

    There are definitely some people who only think about the ceremony not a life together – those celeb marriages that last a matter of hours/weeks/months are proof of that.

  8. Sparky says:

    Under CA law he’s not eligible for a ton of spousal support regardless. For a marriage of less than 10 years spousal support is basically limited to 1/2 the length of the marriage. As they were married in 2017 that would give him only about 3.5 years.

  9. lucy2 says:

    I like her a lot, and she seemed so happy with him for a long time, it’s sad. Hopefully they stay friends.
    Covid divorce is definitely going to be a thing. I’m already seeing it among people I know. I can’t imagine being with someone 24/7, unless you had a huge mansion.

  10. Joe Mama says:

    He is reportedly a serial cheater.

  11. Qatar2 says:

    Does anyone else think he has cocaine eyes?