Kelly Clarkson Reveals She Spent the Summer With Ex Brandon Blackstock and Kids at Their Montana Ranch: It’s ‘Been a Rough Couple Years’

usmagazine.com:

Putting their family first! After finalizing her divorce, Kelly Clarkson offered a glimpse at her coparenting approach with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.“It’s obviously been a rough couple years so it was really important to me to, like, shut down for a minute,” Clarkson, 40, told Today on Tuesday, August 23, about taking daughter River, 8, and son Remi, 6, to Montana for the summer. “I literally four-wheeled in the mountains, and I have a lot of water on my property so my sister, my nephew and I, and a couple friends just spent the whole summer in the mountains, just hanging out in nature.”The singer noted that Blackstock, 45, joined them on the trip, adding, “The kids were with me and with their dad.

It was nice because they usually have to travel a lot because of our separation so we were both in Montana so, it was the first time I think my kids felt more centered as well.”The Texas native’s comments come after her divorce was settled earlier this year.

Clarkson originally filed the legal paperwork in June 2020 following nearly seven years of marriage. In the documents obtained by Us Weekly, the American Idol winner cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.The former couple, who tied the knot in 2013 after dating for two years, ended up in a lengthy legal battle over their Montana property.

Amid the proceedings, Clarkson filed a separate motion requesting to be declared legally single in July 2021. She was granted the request two months later.The host of The Kelly Clarkson Show was later ordered to pay Blackstock nearly $200,000 per month, including temporary payments of $150,000 each month in spousal support.