Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock settled their divorce last year. However, legal issues still remain between the former couple. Recently, a court ordered Blackstock to pay Clarkson more than $2 million in damages.
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According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, a California labor commissioner ordered Blackstock to pay Clarkson $2,641,374. The substantial sum comes from his time as her manager. He booked gigs for Clarkson and received commissions. However, only agents are allowed to book gigs for performers, with few exceptions.
Blackstock reportedly received commissions for booking The Voice, Norwegian Cruise Line, Wayfair, and the hosting spot on the Billboard Music Awards. He received nearly $2 million in commissions for booking Clarkson’s role on The Voice. He only made $93.30 for her gig hosting the BBMAs.
Blackstock did get one small win in the recent court proceedings. Clarkson wanted him to pay her back commissions he earned for landing her The Kelly Clarkson Show. However, the labor commissioner ruled he could keep what he earned from that arrangement.
The recent ruling comes from a series of court petitions filed in 2020. In September of that year, Blackstock’s company, Starstruck Management Group filed suit against Clarkson, according to Today. The suit claimed that Clarkson owed the company $1.4 million in unpaid commissions for The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show.
In October 2020, Clarkson filed a petition with the California Labor Commission that Blackstock’s company demanded “unconscionable fees and compensation.” The petition also claimed that Blackstock acted in a “conflict of interest” with Clarkson’s best interests. Additionally, she claimed that her ex-husband violated the California labor code. He was not a certified talent agent during the time he represented her. However, he acted as an agent when booking gigs. As a result, she wanted the agreement she signed with Starstruck to be declared “void and unenforceable.”
Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Starstruck spoke to TMZ about the filings at the time. “It is unfortunate that Kelly is again attempting to avoid paying commissions that are due and owing to Starstruck to try and achieve some perceived advantage in her ongoing custody and divorce proceedings,” he said.
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