Kelly Clarkson has initiated legal action against her former spouse, Brandon Blackstock, marking another chapter in their ongoing legal battle just months after securing a $2.6 million victory in a previous case last fall.
This new lawsuit, lodged in Los Angeles, targets both Blackstock and his father Narvel Blackstock's company, Starstruck Entertainment, alleging infringement of California labor laws.
The crux of the dispute centers around accusations that Starstruck acted as an "unlicensed talent agency," orchestrating business deals on Clarkson's behalf since 2007 without the proper authorization mandated by the Talent Agencies Act.
The legal documents assert that the activities conducted by Starstruck are grounds for nullifying all contracts between the parties involved.
Kelly is demanding that all funds previously paid to Starstruck, encompassing "commissions, fees, profits, advances, producing fees or other monies," be returned to her.
These allegations suggest a deep-rooted contention over the legitimacy of the services provided by Starstruck and the compensation it received.
Representatives for both Kelly, aged 41, and Brandon, aged 47, have yet to comment on these recent developments.
The backdrop to this lawsuit is a November 2023 ruling which found Brandon's involvement in securing deals for Kelly with entities such as The Voice, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Wayfair, and the Billboard Music Awards to be unlawful.
This verdict highlighted a breach of California's labor laws, which stipulate that only licensed talent agents are authorized to finalize employment contracts for their clients, with few exceptions.
Brandon is currently appealing this decision, but Kelly's new lawsuit, which extends the timeframe of the dispute by an additional decade compared to her previous complaint, could potentially weaken his case further.
In response to Kelly's latest legal move, Brandon's attorney, Bryan Freedman, issued a statement to Rolling Stone, defending his client's actions.
Freedman argued, "It is morally, ethically, and legally wrong to attempt to get monies back from your ex-husband who not only helped her as her manager but who used those earnings on their children and Kelly and Brandon’s lifestyle during the marriage." This statement underscores the contention over the financial arrangements and contributions during their marriage.
This legal skirmish was preceded by a lawsuit from Starstruck against Kelly in 2020, claiming $1.4 million in unpaid commissions for her work on The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show.
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