Kelly Clarkson claimed in court last year that her ex-husband and former manager Brandon Blackstock didn’t believe that the “Since U Been Gone” hitmaker, 41, was “sexy” or attractive enough to be a coach on The Voice, according to a report from the New York Post.
In November 2023, Blackstock, 47, was found guilty of improperly securing deals as Clarkson’s manager and was ordered to pay her $2,641,374. However, his legal team is appealing the ruling. The Grammy winner filed for divorce from Blackstock after seven years of marriage in 2020, citing irreconcilable differences.
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Kelly Clarkson Reportedly Told By Ex-Husband That She Wasn't 'Sexy' Enough To Be On 'The Voice'
Blackstock allegedly informed the Kelly Clarkson Show host that The Voice was seeking a "more sex symbol type" and mentioned Rihanna as an example.
Clarkson reportedly recounted the conversation during her testimony to the California labor commissioner, who subsequently ruled in her favor regarding the owed payments, as per the Post.
Clarkson joined the singing competition show as a coach in 2018. Before she did, however, Blackstock allegedly said to her that NBC was looking for a "diverse" group of coaches and "had to have someone that was "Black."
The American Idol alum also said that Blackstock deemed her to be "too similar" to Blake Shelton, who was also a beloved coach to fans at the time.
Ed McPherson, Clarkson's lawyer, inquired about her capacity to recall the precise details of the purported dialogue with Blackstock, as reported by the Post.
"Well, a wife doesn’t forget a time she gets told she’s not a sex symbol, so that stays," she replied. Clarkson and Blackstock share two children — daughter River, 9, and son Remington, 7.
In November of last year, People Magazine obtained documents stating that Clarkson alleged Blackstock obtained her contracts with The Voice, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Norwegian Cruise Line, Wayfair, and the Billboard Music Awards in exchange for fees.
Blackstock was not found to have overstepped his boundaries as manager in the Kelly Clarkson Show contract, according to the documents. However, the other four agreements were meant to be handled by Clarkson's team at Creative Artists Agency.
The ruling read: "Under the Talent Agencies Act (TAA), a manager, like any person without a talent agency license, cannot procure or attempt to procure employment for artists."
According to records, Blackstock received payment for each of Clarkson's previous projects, such as $1,983,155.70 for her role on The Voice, $208,125 for a promotional deal with NCL, $450,000 for a partnership with Wayfair, and $93.30 for her Billboard Music Awards hosting agreement, all of which he must now reimburse to his former spouse.
