NEWSKelly Clarkson Turns 40! See All Of Her Ups And Downs Over The Past Year
Apr. 24 2022, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
Happy Birthday Kelly Clarkson!
The blonde beauty is turning the big 4-0! And to celebrate, OK! is looking back at all of her great and no-so-great moments over the past year.
From her tumultuous divorce with ex Brandon Blackstock to name changes and career moves, the American Idol alum hasn't had a dull moment over the past 12 months.
Scroll through the gallery below to see all of Kelly Clarkson's ups and downs over the past year as she turns 40:
Career Win: Big Things For 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'
Last year, Clarkson started off year 39 with a bang after it was announced in May that her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, was chosen to take over Ellen DeGeneres' time slot for her long-running show, which is coming to an end in Fall 2022.
As OK! reported, Valari Staab, the president of NBCUniversal Local, confirmed the news at the time while gushing over Clarkson's booming show. "By 2022, The Kelly Clarkson Show will be the star of our daytime entertainment schedules and an asset to our early afternoon newscasts," Staab stated.
Divorce Win: Thank Goodness For A Prenup!
Just a few months later, Clarkson received some more good news after finding out her prenup with Blackstock was validated by the judge in the midst of their messy divorce. The powerhouse vocalist first filed for divorce from her estranged ex in 2020, citing "irreconcilable differences" before the pair took it to court to hash out all of the details.
While filming The Voice in August 2021, Clarkson reportedly let out "a scream" over the news that she would be able to keep all of her own earnings, as OK! learned.
Personal Win: Single And Ready To Mingle!
In September 2021, it was revealed that the judge in her divorce case officially terminated the pair's marital status, which was actually effective starting August 3 of that year.
Despite being declared a single woman, the talk show host was hit with a hefty spousal support order of $150,000 a month and $45,601 per month in child support for the couple's two children: River Rose, 7, and Remington, 6.
Divorce Win: A Settlement Is Finally Reached!
After Clarkson and Blackstock spent the next few months trying to sort out the details of their divorce settlement — including the ownership of their Montana Ranch, which was one of the main points of interest during their months-long battle — they finally reached a deal in March 2022, with the songwriter being awarded primary custody of their kids.
(The "Because Of You" singer ended up agreeing to hand over 5.12% of the Montana property, which equals a whopping $908,8000 of the total $17 million value.)
Despite Blackstock's attempts to contest the judge's decision over the prenuptial agreement, it was ultimately upheld, with Clarkson only having to fork over cash for the previously established spousal and child support payments.
Personal Win: Meet The New Kelly!
On March 28, a California judge officially granted Clarkson's request to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne, as OK! reported.
In her request filed in February, Clarkson argued: "My new name more fully reflects who I am," while requesting in her petition to officially go by just her first and middle name.
She addressed the petition during the L.A. premiere of her new show, American Song Contest, one week before her name was legally changed, where she assured fans she will still publicly be known by her household name. "I just kept my middle name for my personal life," Clarkson explained at the time. "I'm still Kelly Clarkson."
