Brandon Blackstock: His marriage, kids, and divorce from Kelly Clarkson
Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson. Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
When Kelly Clarkson married Brandon Blackstock in 2013, it looked like a love story built for the spotlight. But just seven years later, their seemingly perfect marriage crumbled in full public view. What went wrong? What role did fame, career entanglements, and family dynamics play? Here’s an inquisitive look at the couple’s marriage, children, and high-profile divorce that still makes headlines today.
How Did Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock Meet?
Their paths first crossed in 2006 during a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards. Brandon, then a tour manager for Rascal Flatts, met Kelly backstage, but both were in other relationships at the time. It wasn’t until 2012, at the Super Bowl, that sparks finally flew, and their romance ignited.
Clarkson often described Brandon as the man who helped her feel safe in love again. Their wedding in 2013, held at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, was intimate and highly emotional, just the kind of fairy tale fans hoped for from the original American Idol.
How Many Children Do They Have?
The couple welcomed two children during their marriage:
- River Rose Blackstock, born in 2014, became a regular feature in Clarkson’s books and talk show stories.
- Remington “Remy” Alexander Blackstock, born in 2016, completed their young family.
Clarkson also became a stepmother to Brandon’s two children from a previous marriage: Savannah and Seth. She described the blended family experience as one of the most rewarding aspects of her life at the time.
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When Did Things Start Falling Apart?
Though publicly supportive of each other for years, things started unraveling during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Clarkson later said the quarantine forced them to confront issues that had long been buried beneath their busy schedules. In June 2020, she filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
Why Was Their Divorce So Complicated?
The divorce turned messy, fast. Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock clashed over custody, property, and even money from her career, since Brandon was not just her husband but also her manager.
A court eventually awarded Clarkson primary custody of their children. Brandon retained rights to the Montana ranch they shared, at least temporarily. Clarkson was also ordered to pay nearly $200,000/month in spousal and child support until a final settlement was reached.
By March 2022, the divorce was finalized, but public interest spiked again when Clarkson won a $2.6 million judgment in 2023 after it was ruled that Blackstock had unlawfully booked deals while serving as her manager.
How Are Things Now Between Them?
While they maintain limited communication, mostly to co-parent their children, Clarkson has spoken publicly about the emotional toll the divorce took on her. In her own words, she had to “navigate grief in front of millions”, using songwriting, therapy, and motherhood as healing tools.
In August 2025, she postponed her Las Vegas residency to care for her children as Brandon reportedly suffers from an undisclosed illness, proving that their family ties still run deeper than headlines suggest.
Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson’s relationship was a collision of love, career, and public life. For years, they were a picture-perfect power couple in the music industry. But their split, and everything that followed, shows just how complex love can get when it’s tangled in business, parenting, and fame.
