Kelly Clarkson has been classy about her divorce, which she announced in June and hasn’t said much about other than that it was a surprise and that she worries about her kids. A lot of us are wondering whether Kelly and Brandon split due to quarantine stress, money, cheating or something else. We may have a clue with this lawsuit that her father-in-law, Narvel Blackstock, filed against her in September. Narvel and Kelly’s ex husband run the firm that was managing her. The lawsuit alleges that she owes them $1.4 million in unpaid commissions. Kelly just filed a counterclaim stating that they defrauded her of millions because they’re not licensed to practice in California. This isn’t her first counterclaim, she countersued them last month stating that they’re unlicensed and that their 15 percent commission isn’t valid for that reason. Here’s part of US’s writeup on this latest claim:
[Clarkson] alleged that Brandon and Narvel, 64, were not licensed in the state of California to be agents, and therefore she wants to recoup all the money she paid to the company during her 13 years in which they acted as her agent.
Us previously reported that Clarkson was countersuing the management company, claiming it had violated the California Labor Code. The October 20 filing alleged that Starstruck was not properly licensed when “procuring, offering, promising, or attempting to procure employment or engagements.”
[Clarkson] claimed that the company violated the Talent Agencies Act numerous times and argued that all agreements between the parties should be “declared void and unenforceable,” including a verbal agreement that requires 15 percent commission on her gross earnings.
Clarkson’s countersuit came after Narvel filed a lawsuit against the singer in September, saying she owed the firm $1.4 million in unpaid commissions.
I don’t understand all this and some of it could be a legal strategy to avoid having to pay the full amount. It could be that Brandon is taking his father’s side in this case and that’s what contributed to their split. Or maybe once Kelly and Brandon split his dad figured it was time to stick it to her since she was going to fire them anyway. Whatever the reason for their breakup, the fact that Brandon is asking for a whopping $434k a MONTH definitely makes it seem like he’s after her money. Plus he has seven lawyers! We’ve heard that Kelly has a prenup though and I hope it stands.
photos credit: WENN, Avalon and Getty
I never liked the dude. NEVER. He always came off as shady and didn’t seem like he truly loved her.
I’m shocked, shocked! Well, not that shocked…
I don’t understand how she didn’t see this coming. He always had the look of a used car salesman about him. I really hope she has great lawyers and her prenup sticks. Honestly, after a certain income point, alimony should not be a thing. Child support is different, but I feel like even that needs to be capped. Nobody needs $400K a month. Nobody. Let alone another multimillionaire.
Shady-ass looking fool. Never looked like he was on the up-and-up.
Well, you marry a sleazy gold digger and this is what you get. Of course she’s happy to have her children but unfortunately she’s going to be dealing with this creep forever.
I always kind of felt like she was so anxious to get married and have kids and he preyed on that. He was in it for the long con like his dad with Reba. Marry your superstar and take 15% off the top during the marriage plus divorce settlement and child support if possible. Gross.
He has always seemed like a total douche: his pants/boots situation in that picture were a dead giveaway.
Ha! I had to go back and look… What a gronk. Let’s hope she’s got good lawyers. Even so, what a mess.
You’re so right, anyone who would wear capri pants plus booties is suspect.
For its the eye – he has that crazy wide eye thing going on, you can tell he LOVES the celebrity side of his life with her.
Hes ruined at this point now he has to try and fleece her. Nobody is going to talk to him let alone hire him Hollywood is fickle once they’re out they’re out
Team Kelly!
I think she married him because she wanted kids and he wanted money so it worked out. I don’t know how he sold himself to her but he’s always given me creeper vibes. I knew shit was going to fly after the “amicable” divorce statement. Skeletons always emerge and this divorce looks like it’s full of them.
This is why when you decide to have kids with anyone, you realize this person will be in your life FOREVER whether they’re a gold digger or shady grifter or not.
There was a bit of a weird vibe, in my mind, in the carpool karaoke Kelly did with Corden. At the end, there was a ‘date’ with her husband in the backseat of the segment & I remember Corden said something like ‘she seemed happier then before.’. I don’t know? Maybe I’m misremembering and I went to find it but the video doesn’t seem to be on the show’s YouTube channel?! I thought it was cute but I did wonder, why did she even need her husband date skit when she has so many amazing songs…
I hope she beats the tar out of him and his dad. Beat ‘em into bankruptcy then obscurity. How dare they try to rob Kelly who’s such a talented and hardworking woman.
Given the songs she’s sung about heartbreak and trust issues and then the one she sang when she got tearful on American Idol, this is heartbreaking. She sang about finding someone who wouldn’t leave and would be there for their daughter unlike her father did.
I’d hoped she found the love of her life because of that song. I had no clue who this guy was but looking at him now, it’s obvious he looks like a weasel. No offense to weasels, as I mean the human kind.
I know, right? But, to be brutally honest, when she sang that song, I kept thinking “HIM? Really? I just don’t see it.”
Right, I think there was even a line in that song about how he’ll never ask for money.
There’s something sketchy about that whole family (her ex’s). The father in law is Reba McEntire’s ex husband and that marriage also ended in sketchiness if I remember.
The one thing I remember about this guy was in an interview one time she said that she knew she would marry him when they first met. (But I found it weird that he was already married at the time). Maybe that should have been a clue to her yo stay away. Hope it can remain amicable for the sage of the children.
What did she see in him? In all the pictures I’ve seen of him, he looks like a MAGAT weasel. Since he wants to live in Montana, I guess he is? Sorry to any sane Montanans out there.
I’ve seen this play out in Hollywood so much (And I was married to a manager) so I thought I would explain it a little in case anyone wants to know. In Hollywood people have AGENTS. Agents package their clients and makes deals for shows, movies, records, etc. They are legally licensed to do this and make commission on their clients based on the money and jobs their clients get. Their power comes in when they have tons of clients they can use to barter and package. (Think CAA, You want Kelly for this, you must use this client for this) It’s why the biggest people are with the biggest agencies, but also why when you are young and new you might not want to get in with a big agency because despite the prestige, they wont be putting in the work to push you like they will their BIG clients.
Most stars ALSO have MANAGERS. Some people starting out may ONLY have a manager and no agent yet. Managers do the same thing that agents do, and often MUCH more legwork looking for work for their clients. They will look at the breakdowns every day and see what projects are in the works, what is casting, and will send their clients on these auditions. Good managers are like good agents, they have tons of contacts with casting agents, commercial people, etc.-even overseas. But they will also do much more personal things for their clients like make hair and facial appointees and arrange their travel, etc. In fact, that is what they are SUPPOSED to be doing because they are not licensed to make deals for their clients, and this is where it gets weird.
EVERYONE knows that managers make deals. In fact, some managers are famous for their deal making. But since they are NOT licensed to do this, whenever a client wants to get out of a contract with a manager they use the “they were not licensed to make deals for me “(which they did, and made me money) And therefore not entitled to the money the manager is owed for making the deal, or getting them the part. A LOT of times this is truly a shitty move from a star who does not want to pay the manager anymore, (Or pay the commission for the part they got them!) the very manager who made them the star they are. I wish I could name names of people who just DUMPED their manager after that very manager got them the deal or part that made them famous.
But sometimes the manager is skimming money, or is taking WAY too much, or there is some other malfeasance, and that sounds like the case here. She also wants to get the hell (and who could blame her) out of a contract with the sleazy husband and father, and the best way to do it is the old “you aren’t licensed to make the deals you did for me”. So it’s another weird thing about the business. Everyone knows managers make deals. But they aren’t SUPPOSED to, so that means they can be challenged by a client who decides they just don’t want to pay commission. Anyway. Hope that helps.
Fascinating! Thank you for the skinny on how things actually work.
Thank you so much. After I wrote it I thought, no one is going to read all that, lolol.
Amazing. Love this whole scoop.
Great read and so well written as well. Thank you.
This is so interesting! I didn’t know any of this!