Kelly Clarkson has been ordered to pay her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock nearly $200,000 a month in spousal and child support, People reports.
Following the ruling on Tuesday, July 27, Clarkson, 39, is required to pay Blackstock, 43, $150,000 a month in spousal support and $45,601 a month in child support for the two children they share - River Rose, six, and Remington Alexander, four.
Clarkson, however, has had primary physical custody of the youngsters since November.
Blackstock, who also happens to be the 'Because Of You' singer's former manager, will receive a total payment of $195,601 from Clarkson each month, which amounts to about $2.4 million a year.
Per TMZ, this ruling is a temporary one and the amount is subject to change.
According to the outlet, once the divorce is finalized, Blackstock will only get another two years of spousal support, in accordance with the length of their marriage.
It has also been reported that the pair had a prenup, which could have implications for Blackstock's financial gains from the divorce.
In any case, as part of the current arrangement, Clarkson must also pay $1.25 million towards his legal fees and other costs related to their divorce.
While a monthly payment of $195,601 may seem a staggering amount, a source told People that Blackstock had initially been fighting for more than double - $436,000 a month.
Of that amount, he was reportedly hoping for $301,000 in spousal support and $135,000 in child support.
The American Idol winner filed for divorce in June 2020, bringing an end to their seven-year marriage due to "irreconcilable differences".
Earlier this month, Clarkson asked a judge to sign off on the divorce once and for all and leave other rulings in the divorce proceedings until a later date.
According to a court document obtained by People, Clarkson declared that she and Blackstock "both deserve the opportunity to build a new life."
In November, the 'Since U Been Gone' singer was given primary physical custody of the two children she shares with Blackstock. An insider told People at the time that she is "pleased" that she received primary custody of her young children.
"As Kelly has said, her first priority in all of this is to take care of the kids and all the hearts that are involved in this divorce," another source said. "It's been a hard time for everyone, but Kelly's pleased with the court's ruling regarding custody."
"Divorce is hard and it gets tense for most couples going through it. But Kelly's primary focus is on doing the best she can to protect the kids," the source added. "In this case, she had to fight for them since Brandon and his attorneys were making unreasonable requests."
