Kelly Clarkson files papers to change her name to ‘Kelly Brianne’

Kelly Clarkson is looking for a fresh start. That includes a name change.

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Clarkson, 39, the first “American Idol” winner in 2002, filed documents in a Los Angeles court on Feb. 14 to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne, Us Weekly reported.

Brianne is the singer and television personality’s middle name, the Los Angeles Times reported. In her filing, Clarkson said the name change “more fully reflects who I am.”

Clarkson’s petition comes after her difficult divorce from Brandon Blackstock, the newspaper reported. She was declared legally single in September 2021 and also successfully changed her name back to Kelly Clarkson, according to the Times.

Late last month, the “Stronger” singer reached an agreement with Blackstock, 45, regarding their Montana ranch, which had been a point of contention in their divorce proceedings, according to People. Clarkson agreed to Blackstock receiving 12% percent of the property, equaling $908,800 of its total $17,750,000 value, according to court documents obtained by the magazine.

Clarkson filed for divorce in June 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences” with Blackstock after nearly seven years of marriage, Fox News reported. The couple share a daughter, River Rose Blackstock, 7, and a son, Remington Alexander Blackstock, 5, the news outlet reported.

Blackstock has two children from his marriage to Melissa Ashworth: Savannah, 19, and Seth, 14, according to Us Weekly.

>> Kelly Clarkson to pay Brandon Blackstock almost $200K monthly in support

In July 2021, a judge ordered Clarkson to pay her ex-husband nearly $200,000 per month in spousal and child support.

In a 2020 interview with the Times, Clarkson said she was hesitant to speak about her divorce in deference to her children.

“I am a very open person, but I’m not going to be able to be truly open about this in certain aspects because there’s kids involved,” Clarkson told the newspaper. “My children and his older children -- there are a lot of little hearts involved in this and while people feel, ‘Oh my gosh, what a loss,’ imagine how it is in the epicenter of the storm. It’s a lot to process and deal with, just as a family.”

It is not clear how the name change would affect Clarkson’s brands, but a source told Entertainment Tonight her self-titled talk show would remain the same.

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Kelly Clarkson attends STX Entertainment's 'UglyDolls' photo call at The Four Seasons Hotel on April 13, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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