Kelly Clarkson’s legal dispute with her former manager and ex-husband Brandon Blackstock centered on whether he crossed a legal boundary: California law generally bars an unlicensed manager from procuring work for an artist. A state Labor Commissioner’s 2023 determination found unlawful procurement tied to four engagements and ordered $2,641,374 in commissions disgorged. The parties later settled lawsuits over alleged management overcharges in 2024, according to the Associated Press; the settlement amount was not reported. Blackstock died in 2025.
Why did Kelly Clarkson sue Brandon Blackstock?
Blackstock managed Clarkson from 2017 to 2020 through Starstruck Management Group LLC and Starstruck Entertainment LLC. Clarkson also had talent agents at Creative Artists Agency. The dispute was not simply about their marriage or the fact that Blackstock was her manager. It concerned whether particular efforts to obtain work for Clarkson amounted to regulated talent procurement under California’s Talent Agencies Act.
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On October 20, 2020, Clarkson, Face Face Productions, and SHPants filed a petition with California’s Labor Commissioner. They alleged that Blackstock and related Starstruck entities had unlawfully procured work for Clarkson. The Commissioner heard the petition from March 20 to 24, 2023, and adopted a determination dated November 21, 2023.
What did the California Labor Commissioner decide?
The Act generally prevents a person who is not a licensed talent agency from procuring, or attempting to procure, work for an artist. The determination also described a statutory safe harbor for a manager acting at the request of and in conjunction with a licensed talent agency, within the law’s limits. The Commissioner examined five engagements individually rather than treating all of Blackstock’s management work as unlawful.
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| Engagement | Finding in the November 2023 determination | Commissions ordered disgorged |
|---|---|---|
| The Voice | Unlawful procurement found; the safe harbor applied, but did not cover the conduct at issue. | $1,983,155.70 |
| The Kelly Clarkson Show | No violation found; the safe harbor applied. | None included in the order |
| Norwegian Cruise Line services agreement | Unlawful procurement found. | $208,125 |
| Wayfair talent and brand agreements | Unlawful procurement found. | $450,000 |
| Billboard Music Awards | Unlawful procurement found. | $93.30 |
The Commissioner concluded that the unlawful practices could be severed from the wider management contract rather than tainting the entire contract. The order required respondents to disgorge commissions already paid on or after October 20, 2019: $2,641,374 in total across the four engagements found to involve unlawful procurement. These are the figures in the state determination, not a confirmed amount Clarkson received under the later settlement.
How did the case end, and how much did Clarkson receive?
The Associated Press reported that Clarkson and Blackstock settled lawsuits over alleged management overcharges in 2024. The AP report does not disclose the amount or exact scope of the settlement. The available reporting also does not establish whether an appeal changed the Labor Commissioner’s determination before the settlement. It is therefore not accurate to present the 2023 disgorgement order as the settlement amount or as a verified final payment.
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What happened to Brandon Blackstock?
The Associated Press reported that Blackstock died of cancer in August 2025, aged 48. A representative for his family said he had “bravely battled cancer for more than three years.”
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Key dates
- 2017–2020: Blackstock managed Clarkson, according to the Labor Commissioner’s determination.
- October 20, 2020: Clarkson and the other petitioners filed the Labor Commissioner petition.
- March 20–24, 2023: The Commissioner heard the petition.
- November 21, 2023: The Commissioner adopted the determination, including the $2,641,374 disgorgement order.
- 2024: AP reported that the parties settled lawsuits over alleged management overcharges; the amount was not stated.
- August 2025: AP reported Blackstock’s death at age 48.
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