Kelly Clarkson Net Worth

What is Kelly Clarkson's net worth?

Kelly Clarkson is an American singer, songwriter, and reality TV star who has a net worth of $50 million. Kelly Clarkson rose to fame as the inaugural winner of "American Idol" in 2002, launching a music career that quickly transcended the show. Her debut single, "A Moment Like This," topped the Billboard Hot 100 and set the stage for a string of pop and pop-rock hits throughout the 2000s. Her second album, "Breakaway," was a massive commercial and critical success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide and spawning chart-topping singles like "Since U Been Gone," "Behind These Hazel Eyes," and "Because of You." Clarkson's powerful voice, emotional delivery, and genre-blending sound helped her become one of the most successful artists to emerge from a reality competition.

She has released multiple platinum-certified albums across pop, rock, and country-tinged styles, earning three Grammy Awards, multiple Billboard Music Awards, and Daytime Emmys. Notable albums include "My December," "Stronger" (featuring the hit "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)"), and "Meaning of Life." Clarkson is known for her vocal range, authenticity, and ability to connect with fans across musical styles and generations.

Beyond music, Clarkson has built a successful career in television. She served as a coach on "The Voice" and launched her own daytime talk show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show," in 2019. The show has earned widespread acclaim and several Daytime Emmy Awards, showcasing Clarkson's natural charm, humor, and relatability.

She has also become a bestselling author of children's books and has recorded holiday albums and country duets, further expanding her reach. Through personal highs and lows, including a public divorce, Clarkson has remained a consistent and respected presence in entertainment. Her resilience, vocal talent, and down-to-earth personality have solidified her status as a modern pop icon with staying power.

Early Life

Kelly Brianne Clarkson was born on April 24th, 1982, in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the youngest of three children, and she was separated from her siblings when her parents divorced. Kelly stayed with her mother, while her brother and sister went to live with other relatives. Church was a major influence on Clarkson's early life, and she was raised as a Southern Baptist. She joined the choir in middle school, which became her first experience with singing. When she reached high school, Clarkson performed in many of the school's musicals and talent shows. Although she received scholarships to several universities because of her singing abilities, Kelly Clarkson declined them all. She was eager to focus entirely on her musical career, and she wanted to get started immediately.

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Career

After graduating from high school in 2000, Clarkson made recording a demo reel her priority. She worked numerous jobs to finance the recording sessions and received some interest from record labels. Although she had a few offers, she turned them down because she believed she would be stereotyped and commercialized. In 2001, she traveled to Los Angeles as she believed she would find greater opportunities there. Although she succeeded in recording a 5-track demo reel, she was turned down by every record label she approached. Later, she was forced to return home after financial difficulties. During this rough patch, she worked as a host for a movie theater and as a cocktail waitress.

Not long after returning home, Kelly Clarkson's friends encouraged her to audition for "American Idol." It was the very first season of the show, and the producers were still playing it by ear as the series progressed. Clarkson eventually made it to the final round and won the entire contest, launching her career in earnest. As an "American Idol" winner, Clarkson was signed to RCA Records by Simon Fuller, the creator of the show. Her debut single, "A Moment Like This," eventually ascended to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2002, it was the top-selling single in the United States.

In 2003, Clarkson released her debut album, "Thankful." The album earned double-platinum status, and critics praised Clarkson's impressive vocal abilities. The album featured tracks like "Miss Independent" and "The Trouble With Love Is." Not long afterward, she paved her own path in the music industry by severing ties with Simon Fuller and seeking new management. The result was a new, unique album called "Breakaway." Critics praised the album when it was released in 2004. It was also Clarkson's most successful album in financial terms, as it sold more than 12 million units around the world. On the heels of her successful new album, Clarkson embarked on an ambitious tour from 2005 to 2006.

Kelly Clarkson's third album took a darker tone – a point of contention for the executives at RCA. They wanted Kelly to pursue a more mainstream sound, and they protested when Clarkson refused to allow any professional input into the creative process. She wanted to do things her way, and as a result, RCA failed to promote the album to the extent they had done previously. The album was entitled "My December," and it was released in 2007. Although it was well-received by critics and gained platinum status, it only sold 2.5 million units globally – a far cry from Kelly's earlier success with "Breakaway."

Clarkson returned to a more mainstream vibe with her next album, "All I Ever Wanted." With its lighter tone, the album reached the top spot on the Billboard Top 200 and achieved commercial success with a platinum status once again. Critics also praised Clarkson's work once again. To support the album, Clarkson toured once again from 2009 to 2010.

After collaborating on the massively successful country track "Don't You Wanna Stay" with Jason Aldean, Clarkson released another album in 2011 entitled "Stronger," winning a Grammy for her efforts. In 2012, Clarkson won widespread praise when she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" during the Super Bowl. During this year, she also released her first greatest hits album.

In 2013, Clarkson released a holiday album entitled "Wrapped in Red," which quickly went platinum. 2015 marked Kelly Clarkson's seventh and final album with RCA. For the third time, her album reached the third spot on the Billboard Top 200. Next, she signed with Atlantic and released the album "Meaning of Life" in 2017. In 2021, she released the holiday album "When Christmas Comes Around…" before dropping her 10th studio album "Chemistry" in 2023.

Kelly Clarkson's Salary from The Voice

Kelly's salary for being a judge on "The Voice" is $560,000 per episode. That works out to around $14 million per season. In previous seasons, her total salary from "The Voice" was $13 million. In total, between 2012 and 2019, Kelly earned $53 million working on "The Voice" alone, before taxes. Combined with her music earnings, Kelly has earned just around $100 million during her entire career to date.

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Film Career

Kelly Clarkson has been involved in film since the beginning of her career. Her first major role was in "From Justin to Kelly" in 2003, although the movie was poorly received. Clarkson has appeared on a number of TV shows as well, including reality shows such as "The Voice" and later seasons of "American Idol." Clarkson has also emerged as a successful voice actor, featuring in animated films such as "The Star" and "Trolls World Tour." In addition, she has her own show – "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

Children's Books

In 2016, Kelly Clarkson signed a book deal with HarperCollins. Her first children's book was "River Rose and the Magical Lullaby." In 2017, she released another book called "River Rose and the Magical Christmas."

Personal Life

In October 2013, Kelly married Brandon Blackstock after a nine-month engagement. Brandon is the son of Narvel Blackstock, Kelly's former manager. Narvel was married to Reba McEntire for many years. In November 2013, Kelly and Brandon announced that they were expecting their first child together. Their child, a daughter, was born on June 12, 2014. They welcomed a son on April 12, 2016. Tragically, Brandon died in August 2025, at the age of 48, after a battle with cancer.

Divorce

Kelly filed for divorce from Brandon in June 2020. In November 2020, a judge granted Kelly primary custody of their two children. Around the same time as the custody decision was made, Brandon filed a support request in which he sought $430,000 in MONTHLY child support. The request broke down as $135,000 in child support and $301,000 in spousal support. He also wanted $2 million to cover attorney's fees.

In response, a few weeks later, Kelly filed a complaint in which she claimed that during the 13 years she was managed by Brandon, he didn't have the necessary license required for talent agents. She, therefore, demanded the return of millions in fees.

In April 2021, a judge ordered Kelly to pay Brandon $195,000 per month in support. That was broken up as $150,000 in spousal support, which will last for two years, and $45,000 per month in child support, which will presumably last until their children turn 18.

In January 2022, a judge ordered Kelly to transfer a 5% ownership stake of her Montana ranch to Blackstock. The ranch overall is worth an estimated $17.75 million, so Blackstock's 5% stake was worth $908,000 at the time of the judge's order.

In March 2022, a final divorce settlement was finally struck between Kelly and Brandon. According to the final settlement, she received custody of their children and will keep the majority of her assets. On the other hand, she will pay him $115,000 in support per month through January 2024, PLUS $45,000 per month in child support, presumably until the kids are 18. Kelly also agreed to pay a one-time lump sum of $1.3 million.

Real Estate

In June 2018, Kelly bought an $8.5 million 10,000-square-foot mansion in Encino, California. That was her family's primary residence. She had previously been renting an LA home that had been burglarized a number of times. Kelly listed the Encino home for sale in May 2020 for a tad under $10 million. The price was reduced to $9 million and then finally $8.24 million when it finally sold in September 2021. Here's a video tour of that house:

Around the same time as the 2018 Encino purchase, Kelly listed her Tennessee home for $8.75 million. She paid $3 million for the 20,000-square-foot Henderson, Tennessee, house in 2012. This property is located on a lake and has seven bedrooms and 4 acres of property. In 2020, they lowered the price to $7.5 million. In June 2020, they finally sold this home for $6.3 million.

Back in 2007, Clarkson picked up a relatively modest Nashville home for $1.5 million. She sold it four years later for $1.2 million. She then purchased a 275-acre farm in Lebanon, Tennessee, for $1.96 million, featuring a one-bedroom cottage, a fishing lake, and a large barn. She sold this property in 2020 for $3 million.

Clarkson also owned a large country estate in Mansfield, close to where she grew up in Texas. She sold the 6,880-square-foot property in October 2012 for $1.5 million.

In Montana, she owns a remote 5,700-acre ranch that features a rustic log cabin that was purchased in 2019. The final sale price wasn't disclosed, but it was last on the market for $9.9 million and, according to the couple's own legal filings, is worth a reported $17 million today.

In June 2020, Kelly – on her own now – paid $5.5 million for a new mansion in Los Angeles.

Kelly Clarkson Net Worth History

Kelly Clarkson was first added to CelebrityNetWorth in November 2009 with a net worth of $5 million. Her net worth topped $10 million for the first time in 2012. By 2012, thanks largely to earnings from The Voice, her net worth was boosted to $18 million. By 2017, her net worth had grown to $30 million. Her net worth would likely be higher today if it were not for a costly divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. Their divorce involved separating several homes, cars, and various other valuable assets. When it was all said and done, she was ordered to pay Brandon $45,000 per month for child support until their children turn 18 and $115,000 per month in spousal support for two years ending in January 2024.  For what it's worth, Justin Guarini's net worth is $700,000.

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