Brandon Blackstock and Starstruck Management were sentenced to pay ex-wife Kelly Clarkson more than $2.6 million after she claimed he overcharged her by millions during their business collaboration.
It was eventually determined that the corporation violated state labor regulations when he worked as her manager. However, on Monday, April 15, Blackstock, who was married to the "Stronger" singer from 2013 until 2021, urged the judge to dismiss the case.
Blackstock's legal action followed Clarkson's recent supplemental petition, in which she claimed she was entitled to more than the initial court award, OK! Magazine reported.
The talk show host also wants a "full and complete accounting from Starstruck of all monies received by Starstruck, directly or indirectly, in connection with any and all contracts, employment, or engagements pertaining in any way to the personal services of [Clarkson]," which includes profits, advances, commissions, and other fees.
Blackstock and his agency contested "each and every allegation" and said Clarkson's most recent court petition was invalid because she did not "file a notice of appeal within 10 days" of the November 2023 judgment.
He went on to say that the "complaint fails to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against Starstruck and is, therefore, barred for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted."
This comes almost four years after the "Because of You" artist filed for divorce in June 2020. The couple has a daughter, River, 9, and a son, Remington, 8.
As OK! As previously reported, Clarkson spoke out about being "very depressed" in recent years and how moving to New York from Los Angeles affected her. Her divorce was a shift that her family "really needed."
"I think we get kind of tied up, and you feel like you have to keep going and keep smiling for others," she explained. "You can only compartmentalize so much, you know? And I'm very good at it, but you can only do that for so long."
A source also spilled Clarkson has been "doing really well" since the divorce.
"She has the primary custody of the kids and is a great mom," the source added. "The divorce was difficult, but she recovered quickly and has no regrets."
To recall, Kelly Clarkson's marriage to husband Brandon Blackstock is dissolving after nearly seven years.
According to records acquired by PEOPLE, the singer, 38, filed for divorce in Los Angeles on June 4, 2020, citing irreconcilable differences. According to the paperwork, the couple's split date is "TBD."
Clarkson and Blackstock, who married in October 2013, have two children: daughter River Rose, who turns six on Friday, and son Remington Alexander, who is four. He also has a 13-year-old son named Seth and an 18-year-old daughter named Savannah from his previous marriage.
Clarkson met the 43-year-old music manager at an Academy of Country Music Awards practice in 2006. They became engaged in December 2012.
During the coronavirus outbreak, Clarkson maintained a social distance with Blackstock and their children at the couple's Montana ranch, including taping remote episodes of her talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show from their home.
"It's a really beautiful ranch and a nice getaway for our family," she remarked of their months-long vacation. "It's something Brandon and I have dreamed about since we were both kids. This is what we would call home."
Clarkson listed her Los Angeles property for over $10 million in April, but has since deleted it. Their family had been living full-time at their home in Los Angeles. They relocated from Tennessee so Clarkson could film her NBC daytime show.
Most recently, on Clarkson's 38th birthday in late April, Blackstock and their children created a surprise film for The Voice coach. "Happy birthday, baby. I love you more than you'll ever know," Blackstock said in the video, which also featured sons Remy and Seth and daughter River.
Clarkson has been honest about their romance and sex life throughout their marriage. The singer previously stated that she has never had a strong sexual attraction to anyone.
"This isn't a downer to anybody I dated before him, but I’m just going to be real: I never felt like, honestly, sexually attracted to anybody before him," Clarkson said during a 2017 SiriusXM interview. "And I'm not downing my exes, you know, everybody’s different. But there was something about him."
Clarkson added, "I honestly thought I was asexual — I’d never been turned on like that in my whole life. I was like, ‘Oh that’s that feeling … okay!' "
That same year, the American Idol winner told Redbook about her friendship with Blackstock. "To keep it family-appropriate, let's say we're just a lot more active than other couples," she added of the couple's sex life. "I'm a person who loves change. He loves spontaneity. Having a set time or place [to have sex] would be boring to us."
Talking about their romance, Clarkson stated, "When I met Brandon, I wasn't looking for a friend. I have a lot of great friends! I was looking for a lover. I had never found someone I was truly passionate about, who I wanted to stay in bed with all day. The fact that I did, well, I was going to latch on and take advantage."
