Kelly Clarkson has just received a shocking ruling from a judge in her ongoing court battle with her ex-husband over their assets: she gets to keep the $10.4 million ranch.
The television personality and singer, who rose to fame for winning the first season of American Idol in 2002, first began dating talent manager Brandon Blackstock in 2012. The couple got married one year later in 2013, but that wouldn’t last long.
The Divorce
Things appeared to be going great from the outside, but apparently the pair was having trouble behind the scenes. On September 25th, 2021, Clarkson announced that after 7 years of marriage, she and Blackstock had gotten a divorce.
The couple cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split.
“Definitely didn’t see anything coming that came,” Kelly admitted, referring to the reasons behind the divorce. “What I’m dealing with is hard. It involves more than just my heart, it involves a lot of little hearts.”
“We know the best thing here is to protect our children and their little hearts,” she added. “So I’m usually very open and I usually talk about everything but in this case I will talk a little bit here and there about how it affects me personally.”
In an interview with Extra, Clarkson revealed how her six-year-old daughter, River, and four-year-old son, Remington, are dealing with the changes.
“I have a great family and friends that are there for me. It’s a very hard thing to navigate, to be able to be honest and share your story,” she said.
“So maybe you can help someone else [by speaking up], but at the same time protecting these little kids you adore,” Kelly added.
“We have a lot of help as far as therapists or child psychologists because we want to do it right,” she explained.
“Everyone’s sad and it’s okay to be sad,” the star concluded.
Since the divorce, Clarkson won the custody battle for both of the children, a Los Angeles judge ruled. The children will be able to visit their dad though. Blackstock gets the kids on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekends of each month.
The Ranch
The battle between Clarkson and Blackstock didn’t stay civil for long, apparently. Kelly’s ex-husband desperately tried to take as much money and property from her as he could, despite the fact that she earned and paid for it, especially her $10.4 million Montana ranch.
Luckily for her, a judge has ruled in her favor, declaring that she can keep the ranch that she lived in with her ex-husband and children, despite the fact that he is currently living in it.
Blackstock attempted to argue that the house was “marital property,” but Kelly purchased the property, and the judge ruled against his claims.
The virtual hearings stated that the properties “acquired during the marriage … are subject to the terms of the Premarital Agreement.”
“The Court further finds that the Montana Ranch and the other two Montana properties are not titled in both of the Parties’ names either as joint tenants with right of survivorship or as tenants by the entireties, as required under the PMA to create a marital property,” the document said.
“The Court, therefore, rejects Respondent’s [Blackstock’s] position that the Montana Ranch and other Montana properties are marital property owned 50/50 by the Parties,” the document continued.
Kelly is also in the process of changing her name. According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly, Clarkson has “a desire” to change her name to something that she feels represents her better.
The former American Idol now wants to go by her first and last name: Kelly Brianne.
“My new name more fully reflects who I am,” she said.
A court date to discuss the name change is set for March 28.
