Laura Moore
Jan 04, 2024 - 07:10

Kelly Clarkson Ex-Husband Allegedly Claims She Wasn't Sexy Enough for The Voice

Kelly Clarkson accuses ex-husband of calling her not sexy enough for The Voice, wins $2.6M settlement. Claims racism in hiring.

Kelly Clarkson has filed a lawsuit against her former husband, Brandon Blackstock, alleging that he told her she was not sexy enough to be a coach on The Voice. According to documents obtained by the New York Post's Page Six, Kelly stated that Brandon insisted they were "looking for a more sex symbol type" such as Rihanna, despite her expressed desire to join the show as a coach.

In a hearing before a California labor commissioner last year, Kelly claimed that Brandon owed her $2.6 million for unlawfully making deals that should have been handled by her talent agents. She recounted a specific conversation with Brandon, saying, "Well, a wife doesn't forget a time she gets told she's not a sex symbol, so that stays."

Kelly also alleged that Brandon told her NBC "had to have someone that was Black...they had to have a diverse thing," and that she and Blake Shelton, who was already on the show, "were too similar." Despite these assertions, Kelly became a coach on The Voice in 2018.

In his testimony, Brandon claimed that he was encouraged by two CAA music agents to tell NBC that Kelly was in talks with ABC to become a judge on American Idol. He stated that they encouraged him to meet with NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy, who allegedly did not like agents. Brandon's lawyers argued that he informed Telegdy that American Idol would be submitting an offer to Clarkson, to which Telegdy asked, "What would it take [to sign Kelly to The Voice]?" Brandon then told Telegdy that it would be "somewhere around Blake's money."

The legal battle between Kelly and Brandon has brought to light the intricacies and negotiations involved in securing high-profile talent for television shows. The allegations and counterclaims reveal the complexities of the entertainment industry and the challenges faced by artists and their representatives when navigating contracts and agreements.