Brandon Blackstock claims ex Kelly Clarkson's $2.6M lawsuit 'fails to state facts' about wrongful business deals
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There's a new twist in the ongoing legal feud between talk show host and singer Kelly Clarkson and her former manager and husband, Brandon Blackstock.
In a filing on Monday, April 15, Blackstock, 47, asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, one month after Clarkson, 41, claimed in court that she should receive more than the $2.6 million that a California labor commissioner ruled Blackstock owed her for allegedly going beyond his legal bounds as her manager.
Brandon Blackstock claims ex Kelly Clarkson's lawsuit 'fails to state facts'
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock were married between 2013 and 2020 and he served as her manager on behalf of Starstruck Entertainment, the business owned by his father, Narvel Blackstock.
Following Clarkson's allegations that her ex-husband had overcharged her by millions of dollars during their business collaboration, Blackstock and Starstruck Management were forced to pay her more than $2.6 million.
Later, it was determined that while he was managing her, the business had broken state labor regulations. However, Blackstock requested that the lawsuit be dismissed from the court on Monday, April 15.
According to court documents obtained by People, Blackstock and his management company, Starstruck Management refute "each and every allegation" made by the pop star.
Blackstock and his attorneys argue that it is not within the proper jurisdiction to file a separate lawsuit at this time because Clarkson did not—per the documents—"file a notice of appeal within 10 days" of the decision being made to seek more than the $2.6 million that was ruled down.
He further stated 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."
Blackstock further claimed that if Clarkson and he were to receive additional damages, the payment should be lowered because the alleged illicit profits that he and Starstruck Management obtained were already deposited into their community estate.
Kelly Clarkson filed cross-complaint against ex Brandon Blackstock
The $2.6 million amount dates back to 2017, but Clarkson claimed in a March complaint that Blackstock has been breaking the law since 2007, and now requesting an additional accounting.
Clarkson launched a new lawsuit against her ex-husband in March following the commissioner's ruling that Blackstock and Starstruck Entertainment had broken California's Talent Agencies Act by hiring the talk show host without a license.
According to the labor commissioner, Blackstock and Starstruck Management violated California's Talent Agencies Act, which prohibits managers from attempting to hire artists on their own or without working with a certified agency.
The 'Stronger' singer requested in the filing 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]," including advances, commissions, fees, profits, and producing fees.
This occurred almost four years after the 'Because of You' singer filed for divorce in June 2020. The couple has a 9-year-old daughter named River and an 8-year-old boy named Remington.
Starstruck sued Clarkson in September 2020, saying she owed over $1.4 million in unpaid commissions, sparking the start of their legal battle throughout their divorce procedures.
In response, the hitmaker filed documents accusing Starstruck, Blackstock, and his accomplices of breaking the Talent Agencies Act.
The divorce was finalized in 2022, two years after it was initially filed. Clarkson was mandated to pay $45,601 in child support each month along with a one-time payment of a minimum of over $1.3 million to her ex-husband.
