Kelly Clarkson Wins Back Millions From Ex Husband For Overcharging As Her Manager

It is raining dollar bills for Kelly Clarkson as the powerhouse vocalist scores another victory in her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.

The multihyphenate star's hard-earned money remains secure amid her separation from her former talent manager. After celebrating the court's support of her prenuptial agreement, the "Stronger" hitmaker has another reason to celebrate, thanks to a labor commissioner's favorable ruling.

The singer's recent win in her divorce settlement came following allegations that her former beau had overstepped his boundaries as her manager. While serving as his ex-wife's representative, Blackstock arranged several lucrative business deals for the "American Idol" alum.

However, these offers benefited the media personality beyond his standard payday. The 46-year-old gained a significant amount of money from his ex by reportedly unlawfully procuring deals that should have been handled by talent agents and overcharging the "Breakaway" singer for these gigs.

Blackstock's wrongdoings did not escape the notice of the California labor commissioner presiding over the former spouses' case. The legal representative ruled in Clarkson's favor, stating that her ex-manager was guilty of crossing the line with his exuberant fees.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the Fort Worth native had collected fees for securing the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award honoree's contracts with "The Voice," the Norwegian Cruise Line, Wayfair, and the Billboard Music Awards.

These business transactions, as stated, were not jobs within Blackstock's managerial role but that of a talent agent. To compensate for the losses generated by the media personality's unlawful actions, he was ordered to cough up all the commissions he received.

Given his longtime history as the "Behind These Hazel Eyes" artist's representative, Blackstock's bill was no small number, amounting to $2,641,374. The manager reportedly received $1.98 million in commissions for Clarkson's appearance on "The Voice," a significant amount compared to the $93.30 he got for his ex-wife's hosting gig at the Billboard Music Awards.

Additionally, the Texas sensation tried to get the commission she paid Blackstock for securing "The Kelly Clarkson Show;" however, the labor commissioner disagreed. Nonetheless, the ruling marked a massive victory for the "Ugly Dolls" voice actress, but her displeased ex-husband plans to appeal.

This was not Blackstock's first loss in the duo's divorce case, as he failed to challenge the validity of the former couple's prenuptial agreement in 2021. The 46-year-old wanted the judge to disregard the document and split the parties' assets and properties equally.

However, the legal umpire disagreed and declared the prenup valid, leaving Clarkson soaring on cloud nine. Sources on "The Voice" set revealed the powerhouse vocalist had received the good news while filming the competitive music show.

According to one report, the Academy of Country Music honoree let out "a scream" after learning that the contested prenup was upheld in full by the judge. Her joy radiated throughout the show's set, with fellow judges Blake Shelton and Ariana Grande joining the entertainer's celebration.

A year before Blackstock was ordered to repay his ex-wife's commissions, the talent manager went viral for inspiring Clarkson's ninth studio album. During a 2022 interview, the mother of two confirmed she would bring new music in 2023.

The album was essential to the "Red Flag Collector" singer, who explained the project took two years to make. The TV personality noted the songs detailed her feelings about her divorce from Blackstock, saying:

"I'm working on this in therapy: I have a hard time vocalizing what I'm feeling sometimes, so music is helpful for me. It's just been healing. I recorded the record quite some time ago."

Clarkson went on to talk about her divorce, admitting that her 2020 separation from the father of her children was a difficult moment. The 41-year-old claimed she dealt with her tumultuous emotions at the time by recording 25 songs in a week and keeping a tight schedule.

Although she chose to work instead of dwelling on the end of her 7-year marriage, the Grammy winner obtained favorable results as it led to the creation of her ninth studio album. The "Breakaway" singer noted that not everything she wrote about would be on the album, but the songs that made the cut still carried her post-divorce emotions.