Kelly Clarkson’s “Fresh Start” Turns Into a Nightmare as Singer Sues Ex-Husband For a Second Time Over Labor Rules
Kelly Clarkson rose to fame with the first season of American Idol back in 2002. The singer-songwriter was previously married to Brandon Blackstock for seven years before legally separating in 2022. The ex-couple shares a daughter River Rose and a son Remington Alexander. The much-hyped divorce and the custody drama of Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock made headlines.
Recently, The Voice host has sued her ex-partner on the grounds of violating California Labor Laws with respect to the Talent Agencies Act.
Kelly Clarkson Sues Her Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock For Second Time Over Labor Rules
Kelly Clarkson filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock just months after winning a case against him. Reportedly, the complaint is filed against Brandon Blackstock and his father Narvel Blackstock’s management company Starstruck Entertainment for violating California Labor Laws with respect to the Talent Agencies Act.
Starstruck managed Kelly Clarkson until she announced her divorce from her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. The management company had sued Clarkson for millions in allegedly unpaid fee amounts. Starstruck even claimed that it had invested time, energy, and money in transforming Kelly Clarkson into a superstar. According to the lawsuit, she was sued for $1.4 million in unpaid commission for her work on The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Voice.
As reported by Page Six, Clarkson’s lawsuit mentions-
“Based on the wrongful acts and conduct of Starstruck … all agreements between the parties, should be declared void and unenforceable … and all monies previously paid by cross-complainants to Starstruck should be disgorged from Starstruck, forthwith,”
Brandon Blackstock was under the scanner in November 2023, when it was found that he had a hand in deals with the Norwegian Cruise Lines, Billboard Music Awards, and The Voice. According to California Labor Laws, talent agents with only a few exceptions have the right to make employment deals for their clients.
Kelly Clarkson On Why She Left The Voice And Shifted Her Talk Show To New York City
During an interview with USA Today in October 2023, Kelly Clarkson opened up on why she left The Voice and shifted her talk show from Los Angeles to New York City. The Broken & Beautiful singer mentioned that she needed a fresh start on a personal level. She said-
“Full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life. I’ve learned a lot about what I’m capable of handling, and also what you should not handle. That was me saying ‘bye’ to ‘The Voice’ and having this big move. I love that family, but I was like, ‘I’m struggling. I can’t smile anymore. I don’t feel like smiling.’”
She further mentioned-
“I’ll be real honest: I thought I was making a horrible decision. I knew I needed a fresh start and couldn’t be in LA. I wanted to be in Montana, but you can’t really do a show from there quite yet. So I was like, The only other option would probably be New York. At this point, I’m 40 years old. Mama rented something nice! I was like, ‘I’m not living here unless it’s right by the park and really nice for the kids.”
Clarkson had previously mentioned that she never really liked living in Los Angeles. She said–
“I’ve never really liked living in L.A. It is beautiful, with lots of things to offer that are awesome. It’s just never been my thing in 20 years, and so I never wanted to live there in the first place. It also was pointed out, especially getting divorced, it was just me and my kids all the way on that coast. All of my family lives on this coast. It just got lonely.”
The Kelly Clarkson Show moved to New York in May 2023.
