Kelly Clarkson, the first American idol winner, has sought divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock after nearly seven years of marriage. The 38-year-old entertainer filed papers in Los Angeles under her married name Kelly Blackstock on June 4.
The main reason for the split is said to be irreconcilable differences between the couple. Clarkson also asked the court to restore her last name to the maiden name. Her application also states that she should not be forced to pay any spousal support to Blackstone.
The couple got married at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, in October 2013 after dating nearly for two years. They opted for a low-key wedding. This was the second marriage for 43-year-old Blackstone who has two children -- 18-year-old Savannah and 14-year-old Seth -- with his first wife. Clarkson and Blackstone also have two children together, 5-year-old daughter River Rose and 4-year-old Remington Alexander. Clarkson has sought joint legal and physical custody of both River and Remington.
Clarkson and Blackstock met in 2006 during rehearsals of band Rascal Flatts for the Academy of Country Music Awards, where the latter was a road manager. He was also the son of her former manager. But the couple did not make any moves until Clarkson's idol Reba McEntire, who happened to be Blackstock's stepmother, encouraged both to go on date. Finally, the couple went on their first date on Feb. 11, 2012.
Reason For Separation
Though there have been no reports of the rift between the couple, it is said that both got busy with their work. Clarkson's previous interviews also give a hint that Blackstone did not have any time for the family.
Currently, Clarkson is the coach for The Voice and is busy training the contestants in the show. She has also been hosting her own talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show since 2018. Clarkson is also busy working on dropping her single during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to People, Clarkson had earlier said that both had careers that had kept them busy. The family had shifted from Nashville to Los Angeles when Clarkson started her talk show. Meanwhile, Blackstock spent a lot of time working as the couple hardly had any time to be together. In one of the interviews, she had said that both she and Blackstock had separate offices and that he was always on phone and always working.
However, the couple spent time together in Montana during the quarantine. Clarkson had even posed a picture of Blackstock with the daughter River. Blackstock too along, with three of their kids, had wished Clarkson a happy birthday in a video for The Kelly Clarkson Show in April.
