Kelly Clarkson Divorce: All the Alleged Signs She and Brandon Blackstock Were Heading for a Split

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock‘s divorce came as a shock not only to the singer’s fans but also to her friends. But even though the news might seem to have rocketed from out of the blue, there were some alleged signs the marriage was heading toward a breakup during the coronavirus pandemic. The couple was quarantining together with their two children at their Montana ranch, but were allegedly “fighting all the time.” Other signs included quietly putting their Los Angeles and Tennessee homes up for sale.

Blackstock, 43, and Clarkson, 38, married in October 2013, a year after they began dating — although they had known each other for years. Clarkson filed for divorce in Los Angeles court on June 4, but the news did not break until Thursday. The “Stronger” singer listed “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split, according to the documents obtained by The Blast. She is also seeking joint legal and physical custody of their two children, daughter River Rose, 5, and son Remington Alexander, 4. Blackstock has two children from a previous marriage — Seth, 13, and Savannah, 18, who were living in Montana with the couple. Clarkson and Blackstock had a prenuptial agreement before they married and Clarkson wants that honored during the divorce proceedings. Clarkson listed “TBD” as the date of separation.

Sources close to the couple told The Blast their friends were “taken aback” by the news. They said there were “no signs” the couple had any issues. There were some signs that something was up though, as seen below.

Listing homes for sale

Clarkson filed for divorce a month after she listed her Los Angeles mansion for $9.9 million. However, the listing was recently “withdrawn/canceled” according to the home’s page on Compass. In December 2019, Clarkson listed the Hendersonville, Tennessee estate they shared for $7.5 million. The family moved into the Tennessee mansion after marrying in 2013. It was built in 2007 and they previously listed it in 2017.

Blackstock disappeared from Clarkson’s Instagram page

Although Blackstock made an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show to wish her a happy birthday in April, he disappeared from her Instagram page in recent weeks. He made his final appearance in a photo on March 27, when Clarkson shared a photo of him with their daughter River on a horse at their ranch. Blackstock has not been seen at all on Clarkson’s Instagram page since April 1, when they made a video to support small businesses. On May 10, Clarkson shared a photo for Mother’s Day, including the children she shares with Blackstock and her step-children.

Clarkson and Blackstock disagreed on expanding their family

In a May 27 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson told celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey that Blackstock did not want any more children. “I so want another child and my husband is like, ‘No! We have four!’” Clarkson said. Even though Clarkson wants another child, she admitted her children are “losing it” on most days because they have to do school work and make sure they get their naps. She jokingly told the Today Show it was all “super fun.”

‘Fighting’ during the quarantine

The couple was reportedly “fighting” frequently while in quarantine. A source told Life & Style recently that the two got into “screaming matches” and Clarkson sometimes “feels like she just can’t take it” any longer. The marriage hit a “rough patch” in recent weeks during isolation, the source said. The two still love each other, and the source predicted their relationship could “get back to normal” once the coronavirus pandemic is over. “But if things continue the way they are now, who knows if they’ll survive,” the source said at the time.

Clarkson wished to be alone on her birthday

During a virtual appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Clarkson revealed that her birthday wish was to spend the day alone. Clarkson turned 38 on April 24. Clarkson said she had a rough week before her birthday and told Blackstock she did not want to do anything for a day. She did not want to cook or clean anything. She said it was fine for the children to visit her, but she did not want to do anything else.

“So, on my birthday, I literally asked to be left alone, which is funny since we’re all in isolation,” she said. “But I am not in isolation. I’m constantly surrounded by people. So, I was alone and I enjoyed it and I did nothing but eat stuff that probably I gained 10 pounds and I watched, you know, whatever I was watching … I don’t even remember.”

Finding a work-life balance

Clarkson often discussed how hard it was to find a work-life balance, which had to be even more difficult when “life” and “work” are happening at the same place. During the coronavirus pandemic, Clarkson has been filming The Kelly Clarkson Show from home. “In any industry, it’s hard to be a working parent. It’s hard to fit your kids in, your significant other in, your family,” she told Us Weekly in December. “It’s a hard thing to do and also hold down a job that you really believe in and you’re into. And especially this industry is very demanding.”