Kelly Clarkson will bear the brunt of expenses in her ongoing divorce battle with estranged husband Brandon Blackstock and although it will set the "American Idol" alum back quite a bit, she did score a win.
Court documents obtained by TMZ reveal that, although Clarkson will be paying $150,000 per month in spousal support as well as an additional $45,000 per month in child support, Blackstock will be responsible for making the $81,000 monthly payments for the ranch the pair own in Montana.
The order comes despite Clarkson pulling in around $1.5 million per month, which is in stark contrast to Blackstock’s $10,000 per month. The reason, according to the judge presiding over the case, is that Blackstock will be using the ranch as a primary residence.
Earlier this year Blackstock said he would be giving up his job as an industry music manager to become a full-time rancher.
"The evidence in this case shows that after the date of Separation, Respondent made a very deliberate choice to change his life and become a rancher full-time," the judge wrote in court documents filed earlier this month, according to Us Weekly.
"He testified that he is not devoting any effort toward expanding his client list and music management business. … Respondent has made a very deliberate choice, that he testified he planned for a long time, to significantly change his lifestyle from primarily working in the music and entertainment industry to working in an agriculture community and lifestyle involved in full-time ranch and cattle work."
Clarkson filed for divorce in June 2020, after seven years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences."
In November, she was granted primary physical custody of their children River Rose, 7, and Remington Alexander, 5. Then, in June, it emerged that the singer, desperate for divorce proceedings to move forward as quickly as possible, requested a judge to declare her legally divorced from Blackstock because they "both deserve the opportunity to build a new life," according to court documents obtained by People.
Clarkson has spoken openly about her divorce and, during a recent episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show," revealed why she had made the decision to walk away from her marriage.
"The hardest for me is the kids," she admitted, according to Billboard. "I think, as women especially, we're trained to take it all on and deal with it and you're fine. But it's your babies that you worry about."
Clarkson explained that her kids were what motivated her to finally ask for the divorce.
"We've all been trained to believe a good mother is a liar. I didn't leave a marriage in spite of being a good mother; I left because I am a good mother," she said, adding that the split was also best for her and Blackstock.
"I'm like, 'This isn't happiness, for both of us, you know? I feel both of us deserve better, and neither one of us would want this for our children,'" Clarkson said.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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