Kelly Clarkson says she’s ready to take the next step toward finalizing her divorce, with or without her estranged husband Brandon Blackstock’s cooperation.
Last Thursday the pop star and her attorney filed a motion for a separate trial to terminate her marital status so that the judge can declare her legally single. If this request is granted, the former couple will then be permitted to hash out the finer points of their divorce, including spousal and child support, in a different trial at a later date. In the documents obtained by Us Weekly, Clarkson claimed that she “has made good faith efforts to settle” their dispute, while her estranged husband and his lawyers “have no intention of reaching a global settlement of this matter anytime soon.”
She added in the filing, “Irreconcilable differences have existed and continue to exist between [Brandon] and me, which have caused our marriage to irretrievably break down. No counseling or reconciliation effort will be of any value at this time. There will be no prejudice to [Brandon] if our marriage is immediately dissolved. I have been attempting to reach a global settlement on this matter with [Brandon] since I filed for divorce in June 2020. [Brandon] and I both deserve the opportunity to build a new life. Therefore, I am asking that my request to bifurcate and terminate marital status be granted.”
The singer originally filed for divorce in June 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. In October the American Idol winner also filed a fraud claim with the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, accusing her estranged husband and his father’s management company, Starstruck Management Group, of defrauding her of millions through “illegal services” and alleging that Blackstock and his father worked as unlicensed California talent agents—claims that Blackstock strongly denies. In November a judge granted Clarkson primary physical custody of their two children, seven-year-old River Rose and five-year-old Remington Alexander. Despite not being awarded primary custody, Blackstock is still requesting more than $5 million a year in child and spousal support, which is one of the many points of contention keeping the former couple from finalizing their split. Thankfully, Clarkson has been able to use this difficult period of her life as inspiration and channel it into her music, revealing in February that she’s been writing tons and tons of new breakup anthems.
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