Speaking her truth. Kelly Clarkson opened up about how her divorce from Brandon Blackstock has impacted her career.
“Everybody knows the huge divorce I went through and it’s been, like two years and not easy with kids,” Clarkson, 40, said after being asked when fans could expect new music during a Wednesday, June 29, appearance on The Chart Show With Brooke Reese.
“I’m just navigating what I’m comfortable with releasing. So, it’s just a hard thing to navigate. It’s coming. I just got to get my crap together. I just got to figure out what I’m going to release,” the “Because of You” singer admitted, adding, “I’ve never had this difficult of a project.”
Although she’s been keeping busy hosting her own daytime talk show, Clarkson hasn’t released an album since 2017, with the exception of her 2021 Christmas album, When Christmas Comes Around…
The American Idol winner filed for divorce from Blackstock, 45, in June 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. They share two children: River, 8, and Remington, 6. The former talent manager also has two children from a previous relationship: Savannah, 20, and Seth, 15.
Clarkson opened up to Hoda Kotb about the split during a September 2020 appearance on Today. “You can ask anyone who’s gone through a divorce, I don’t think anyone expects it,” she said. “You see yourself growing old with someone and then life has a different path. It’s so hard on everyone.”
The “Since U Been Gone” singer continued, “We have four kids total with each other. That’s a lot of hearts involved, and you just have to be really careful. … We’re in the public eye so that’s hard too, to try and be truthful but also keep your privacy.”
Clarkson’s problems with her ex-husband didn’t end when she filed for divorce; the pair soon became embroiled in a series of legal battles. After more than a year of back and forth, they finalized their divorce in March, reaching settlements on custody arrangements and the fate of their Montana ranch.
The “Walk Away” singer was granted primary custody of River and Remington with the children to spend one weekend a month in Montana with their father. Clarkson agreed to pay Blackstock $41,601 a month in child support until the kids “reach the age of eighteen” as well as $115,000 a month in spousal support until January 2024.
Earlier this month, Blackstock moved out of the Montana ranch his ex-wife purchased in 2019. A source revealed to Us at the time that the Texas native “wanted to fight the order [to leave] but was ultimately talked out of it.” He purchased a home in Butte, Montana for $1.8 million in April.
With the divorce finalized, Clarkson legally changed her name to Kelly Brianne in March. “I just got divorced, so I had to drop my married last name. I just kept my middle name for my personal life. I’m still Kelly Clarkson,” she explained to PEOPLE (the TV Show!). “I don’t think I can change Clarkson at this point. I’m 20 years in!”