Kelly Clarkson Awarded Primary Physical Custody of Kids amid Brandon Blackstock Divorce
Kelly Clarkson Awarded Primary Physical Custody of Kids amid Brandon Blackstock Divorce
The court documents — which ruled in favor of Clarkson — stated that she and Brandon Blackstock "have a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them"
Kelly Clarkson will have primary physical custody of her children.
A Los Angeles County judge has ruled that the "Stronger" singer, 38, who is currently in divorce proceedings with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, will have primary custody of their children, daughter River Rose, 6, and son Remington Alexander, 4.
“The Court finds that under the circumstances present in this case, the interest in providing stability and continuity for the minor children weighs in favor of Petitioner having primary custody," the court document read, referring to Clarkson.
A rep for Clarkson and an attorney for Blackstock, 43, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The document adds that "the level of conflict between the parents has increased. The parties have a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them."
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Art Streiber/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty; Taylor Hill/Getty Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock
Clarkson will allow Blackstock — who plans to reside in Montana and works as a music manager — to visit the former couple's children in the L.A. area at Clarkson's Woodvale residence. Clarkson, who hosts NBC's The Kelly Clarkson Show, resides in Los Angeles for work.
The late October court document also stated that River and Remy would spend the Thanksgiving break with their father and will spend Dec. 19 through Christmas at 2 p.m. with him as well. Meanwhile, Clarkson will spend time with the children that afternoon through the end of the New Year's holiday.
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The former couple will share joint physical and legal custody, but Clarkson will have primary physical custody in Los Angeles. Blackstock will FaceTime with River and Remy every day "at a mutually agreed upon time" as well.
Clarkson and Blackstock also agree that they each "shall not speak in a derogatory manner about the other parent to the minor children. The custodial parent shall not allow the minor children to be in the presence of any third party who speaks about the other parent in a derogatory manner," according to the court documents.
Clarkson filed for divorce in June after being married to Blackstock for seven years. (They got engaged in December 2012 and were married in October 2013.)
In October, Clarkson told Entertainment Tonight that the wellbeing of her children was a priority.
"The thing that's been kind of hard to navigate is I am an open book, but at some point I'm a mama bear more than I am a person in the public eye," she told ET. "So I care 100 percent more about my children than I do anything else on this planet."
"So that's been the hard thing of, like, yes, I'm willing to share my experience and, yes, it is the worst," she added. "I mean, the past few months have been horribly sad. But at the same time, I have to think, 'Hmmm, like, what I say has a domino effect in other people's lives.'"
