Kelly Clarkson's Net Worth In 2023 Hits a High Note
Talk about Miss Independent.
Kelly Clarkson has made a mint over the course of her nearly 20-year career as a singer, TV personality and more—and a lot of that can be credited not just to her business savvy, but also to being true to herself. In fact, Clarkson's charm, humor and relatability are just as responsible for getting her where she is today as her stunning vocal ability; those admirable qualities are the reasons she's not only a Grammy-winning singer, but also an Emmy-winning talk show host, a songwriter, an author, a coach on The Voice and an in-demand brand ambassador.
“I like being all over the map. I get really bored with monotony and I can’t stand to do the same thing,” the superstar previously told Parade of her colorful and varied career choices. However, she also noted that being too busy can be detrimental, so balance is key.
“I used to suffer from depression and I could easily slip back into that if I weren’t steadily paying attention to time management," she explained. "With all the things that I do, I definitely need time for me." Those activities include keeping a gratitude journal, which helps keep her grounded and thankful for all she has.
And when it comes to money and assets, what Clarkson has is a lot—even as her split from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock takes a chunk out of her ka-ching. Keep reading to find out everything we know about Kelly Clarkson's net worth.
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What is Kelly Clarkson's net worth in 2023?
Kelly Clarkson reportedly has an estimated net worth of $45 million.
How much does Kelly Clarkson make a month?
Amid her divorce from Blackstock, it was revealed in court documents that Clarkson's salary breaks down to $1.9 million per month—a figure that includes income from both The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show. Meanwhile, TMZ has reported that Blackstock earns just a sliver of that, "about $10,000 per month."
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Will Kelly Clarkson's divorce affect her net worth?
Clarkson's divorce from Blackstock might hit her in her wallet, but it's looking more and more like her bottom line will survive the blow.
According to PEOPLE, Clarkson settled with Blackstock and will pay him a "onetime payment of just over $1.3 million, as well as a monthly child support payment of $45,601." But wait, there's more! Clarkson is also on the hook for monthly spousal support payments to Blackstock (separate from the one-time payout and the child support); she'll reportedly fork over $115,000 a month to her ex, but only until Jan. 31, 2024.
At the start of their legal proceedings, Blackstock reportedly sought $436,000 in monthly spousal and child support (for daughter River Rose and son Remington "Remy" Alexander), which would amount to $5.2 million annually—despite Clarkson having primary physical custody of the children. He also requested $2 million in attorney's fees.
In March 2022, when the couple's divorce was finalized, Us Weekly reported that Clarkson was court-ordered to pay Blackstock far less than what he'd asked for: $115,000 every month in spousal support until January 2024, plus another $45,600 in monthly child support payments. Clarkson will also pay Blackstock a one-time payment of $1.3 million. TMZ also reported in August 2021 that Clarkson is on the hook for their kids' tuition payments.
Blackstock, who served as Clarkson's manager through Starstruck Entertainment with his father, Narvel Blackstock, has also sued Clarkson for $1.4 million in allegedly unpaid commissions. Clarkson's legal eagles have fired back that the company didn't actually have a talent agency license, which would get her off the hook for the fees. That case is due in court on March 27, 2023.
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Did Kelly Clarkson have a prenup?
Yup, and in August 2021, Clarkson got a big win in her divorce case when a judge upheld that agreement in full.
According to Vulture, the judge's ruling "will allow Clarkson to claim all the assets she purchased and paid for during the marriage, to the disappointment of Blackstock, who had been arguing for a more even split."
TMZ reported that Clarkson found out about the judge's ruling on August 11 while on the set of The Voice and "let out a scream, which then gave way to a celebration." Joining her in the impromptu festivities were fellow Voice coaches Ariana Grande and Blake Shelton. In fact, Shelton had previously been managed by Blackstock, but terminated their relationship amid Clarkson's divorce proceedings.
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Is Kelly Clarkson's Montana property being sold?
All signs point to yes! Before the court ruling on the prenuptial agreement, another point of contention in the Clarkson-Blackstock split was their Montana ranch—which fans may recognize, because it's where Clarkson shot her talk show during the start of the pandemic.
At first, Blackstock was ordered by the court to carry the burden of the ranch's expenses, which reportedly cost a whopping $81,000 a month, including taxes, mortgage, insurance, etc. (As TMZ noted at the time, "He's the one living there, and using it as a primary residence.") FOX Business also reported that "Blackstock, an industry music manager, insisted during court hearings... his intention to leave the entertainment business altogether in order to become a rancher on a full-time basis," which would explain why he allegedly wanted to set up shop there.
For a while, it looked as if Blackstock would have to say goodbye to the house entirely. In early October 2021, it was reported that Clarkson had been awarded the $10 million Big Sky property in divorce court. (It was also reported that what she wanted to do with it is sell it.)
However, PEOPLE reported in March 2022 that for now, Clarkson is hanging onto the Montana property. Blackstock moved out of the property in June 2022. He had been paying $12,500 a month in rent to live there.
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How much does Kelly Clarkson make on her music?
As the inaugural winner of American Idol, Clarkson nabbed a $1 million recording contract with RCA Records. While under their wing, she sold 13 million albums and won three Grammys before getting a new deal with Atlantic Records in 2016. The details of Clarkson's Atlantic Records deal haven't been publicly disclosed, but it's safe to assume she had significantly more leverage in negotiations than she did when she was a teenager who'd just won a TV singing contest!
Over the course of her career since American Idol, Clarkson has sold a total of 25 million albums and 45 million singles. To date, her bestselling album has been 2004's Breakaway, moving 6.5 million units, with her debut Thankful clocking in next with more than 2 million copies sold.
Clarkson's bestselling singles include "Miss Independent," "Since U Been Gone," "Breakaway," "Behind These Hazel Eyes," "Stronger," "Because Of You," "My Life Would Suck Without You," "Already Gone," "Catch My Breath" and "Piece By Piece."
Clarkson's Christmas album, Wrapped In Red, is also a modern holiday classic and one of the bestselling holiday albums of the 2000s, and was named "the Christmas album of the century" by Billboard. She released a second Christmas album, When Christmas Comes Around..., in 2021, featuring some songs shading her allegedly shady ex.
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How much does Kelly Clarkson make on her tours?
Clarkson has made a total career tour revenue (so far!) of $60.5 million. Her highest-grossing tour was her Meaning of Life Tour, selling out all 28 dates and raking in $17.5 million for 275,000 tickets. Her Addicted Tour in 2006 grossed $1.385 million in just two dates at the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach in Long Island, New York, with the tour as a whole bringing in $9.1 million. Her Breakaway Tour netted $9.7 million, putting her behind only Carrie Underwood in terms of American Idol alum tour gross totals.
How much does Kelly Clarkson make from movies?
Clarkson's movie income isn't publicly known, but she's got a bigger filmography than you may realize (or remember).
Clarkson would rather forget her 2003 film From Justin to Kelly, in which she co-starred with American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini, but we can't let it go! She recalled to The Los Angeles Times of the film, "It was a very miserable time of my life I feel like it’s one of those things where, ‘There are plenty of people that would love to do this—why don’t you ask one of them?’" Unfortunately for Clarkson, it was part of her Idol contract: "I talked to many lawyers and could not get out of the movie," she admitted.
Clarkson's other early acting credits included small roles on shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and That '80s Show, as well as playing singer Brenda Lee on music-themed show American Dreams.
From 2004 to 2016, Clarkson avoided acting with the exception of voicing herself in a 2011 episode of Phineas and Ferb. She returned to voice acting in 2017 with The Star, followed by UglyDolls and Trolls World Tour in 2019.
How much does Kelly Clarkson make on The Voice?
Trae Patton/NBC
She sat out Season 22 but is back for Season 23 of The Voice! Variety reported that Clarkson's work as a full-time coach on The Voice, which started in 2018, earns her a cool $14 million per season. Not only is Clarkson a fan favorite on the NBC ratings juggernaut, but she's also a great coach: She won seasons 14 (her first!), 15 and 17 of the competition series.
She told Parade in 2011 of her choice to sign on to what would be her third stint on a music-themed competition show, "I’m a sucker for them! I love The Voice. Blake is a friend of mine, and he’s one of the judges, so I watched it for that, and then I fell in love with the show. I still watch Idol, and it’s still the No. 1 show, so obviously I’m not the only one who loves to sit at home and be entertained."
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How much does Kelly Clarkson make on her children's books?
Clarkson is the author of the 2016 children's book River Rose and the Magical Lullaby, inspired by her daughter. She admitted to Publisher's Weekly that writing a children's book and writing music are quite different, and that she initially didn't feel quite so prepared to write the book (though obviously, it turned out great!).
"Oh, girl, it’s night and day different! I loved Shel Silverstein and all kinds of poetry when I was growing up–it had a flow and almost a musicality to it. And I’d been writing songs for a long time. I thought, 'This will come easy to me,'" she recalled. "But writing a children’s book is so much harder! It’s a whole different beast. David Linker [executive editor at HarperCollins] would remind me that I had to think about how a child would read it, and how it could flow better for them–to come at it from how a kid thinks. The meter and flow is just totally different than what I’m used to and it was pretty difficult."
Clarkson followed up with River Rose and the Magical Christmas in 2017.
According to ZipRecruiter, children's book authors on the high end of the industry's income spectrum can bring in about $136,000 per year.
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How much does Kelly Clarkson make on endorsements?
Throughout her career, Clarkson's wholesome, down-to-Earth image and approachability have made her a lucrative endorsement partner. She's worked with brands including TreSemme, Wayfair, Amazon, Apple, Toyota, Vitamin Water, American Greetings, Candie's, NASCAR, Citizen, Ford, Proactiv and Norwegian Cruise Lines, to name a few!
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How much does Kelly Clarkson make on her talk show?
The Kelly Clarkson Show debuted in 2019 to stellar success, averaging 2 million viewers per episode in the months after its premiere. Though Clarkson's salary hasn't been revealed publicly, it's safe to say that the gig probably brings in about $1 million a month—considering, as mentioned above, that her typical monthly salary of $1.9 million (a figure revealed during her divorce proceedings) includes her pay from both The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Voice. Plus, she isn't just the host of the talk show; she also serves as an executive producer, so she likely earns even more cash from her couch-side chats. She's also won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show. Not bad for a newbie!
In December 2020, it was announced that The Kelly Clarkson Show would be renewed through 2023. "The Kelly Clarkson Show is one of the most optimistic success stories in first-run syndication,” Valari Staab, president, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, told Deadline. “Kelly is a beloved performer and host with deep roots at NBC and we are delighted to have her continue to be a very important and treasured part of our stations’ programming.”
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While data for Clarkson's talk-show salary is hard to come by, a source told Us Weekly that, amid her divorce, the singer is wanting more. “Kelly is renegotiating her talk show contract and wants a substantial increase," the insider claims.
In addition to hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson has also hosted the Billboard Music Awards in 2018, 2019 and 2020, also being credited as a producer on the show.
How much is Kelly Clarkson's real estate worth?
In addition to her cash flow, Clarkson also has some great investments in terms of property.
Besides the aforementioned Montana cabin-style home that was purchased for $2 million in 2015, Clarkson also bought a sprawling mansion in Hendersonville, Tennessee for $3 million in 2012 and plunked down $8.5 million on an Encino, California, mansion in 2018. Following her divorce filing from Blackstock, Clarkson listed the Encino home for $9.95 million and the Hendersonville property for $8.75 million; the latter sold for a cool $6.3 million, making her a tidy profit of about $3 million.
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