Kelly Clarkson’s Ex Reportedly Told Her She Wasn’t A “Sex Symbol”

The latest reports surrounding Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s 2022 divorce gives new meaning to the song “Breakaway.” According to court documents obtained by the New York Post, Clarkson alleged that her ex-husband doubted her ability to get cast on The Voice, reportedly telling her that she wasn’t enough of a “sex symbol” for the role.

In Clarkson’s testimony, she alleged that Blackstock told her NBC would want to hire “someone sexy” like Rihanna on the show. Reportedly, he said the network would be “looking for a more sex symbol type.” (Clarkson was cast on the show in 2018.)

When asked why she remembered the quote, Clarkson said, “Well, a wife doesn’t forget a time she gets told she’s not a sex symbol, so that stays.”

A little breakdown: Clarkson filed for divorce in June 2020 after seven years of marriage. At the time, she cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. Per People, when their divorce was finalized in March 2022, Clarkson paid Blackstock a one-time payment of a little over $1.3 million.

As part of their divorce settlement, Clarkson agreed to regular child support payments — $45,601 monthly — though she maintained primary custody of their two children. Per Us Weekly, Clarkson agreed to pay Blackstock $115,000 per month in spousal support until January 2024.

Now, the spousal support payments are up. “Kelly is feeling relieved that her spousal support to Brandon has come to an end,” a source told Us on Jan. 2. “She’s been ready for this for a while now and is so happy her payments to Brandon will be complete. It’s so nice knowing that this chapter of her life can close with the new year.”

The source continued, “Kelly’s looking at this as a fresh start and she couldn’t be happier for a clean slate in 2024.”

Clarkson previously spoke about how she handled their painful breakup. “I don’t know how people get through anything like that because I’m not going to say I did it gracefully. Behind closed doors by myself, it was not… Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle it well,” she told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe in June 2023, per Page Six.

Clarkson added, “I had many sessions with just my friends of… I couldn’t even speak. I was crying so hard … even before separating. There were just a lot of now unhealthy habits you recognize or habits that you recognize that you didn’t see before. Hindsight is a lot easier.”