Kelly Clarkson Just Seemingly Shaded Her Ex-Husband For Trying to Get Her $10M House in Their Divorce

Some fans are convinced that Kelly Clarkson shaded Brandon Blackstock during a recent episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. During the episode, Clarkson performed a rendition of “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish—and fans couldn’t help but read into a small yet notable change she made to the song’s lyrics.

The Voice coach, 39, performed the viral single during a “Kellyoche” segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show, which aired on Thursday, September 30. In the original version of “Happier Than Ever,” Billie Eilish sings, “I don’t relate to you / I don’t relate to you, no / ‘Cause I’d never treat me this shitty / You made me hate this city.” Interestingly, Clarkson chose not to censor herself during the performance despite her family-friendly timeslot. She also changed the final lyric to, “I get it, you hate this city.”

Many interpreted the lyric as a reference to her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, who has been living at his and Clarkson’s former ranch in Montana ever since she filed for divorce from him in July 2020. Clarkson, for her part, has spent most of her time living and working hundreds of miles away in Los Angeles since their split—so it’s possible that her performance on Thursday was a way of hinting at Blackstock’s distaste for the big city.

It would also make sense, seeing as how Blackstock has been fighting for months to keep their home in Montana as part of their divorce settlement. Their ranch was originally purchased at auction for $10.4 million by Clarkson in 2019, and ever since their split, the singer has been attempting to sell the property due to the “financial burden” it poses to her.

In April, a judge denied her request to sell the ranch and mandated that Blackstock pay rent if he chose to continue living on the property. The music manager, for his part, attempted to skirt this ruling by claiming that the house was their shared “marital property.” However, the court eventually disagreed. On Friday, October 1, a Los Angeles judge ruled that the Montana ranch officially belongs to Clarkson. According to court documents obtained by People, the home is protected by the former couple’s prenup and belongs to Kelly since she purchased it with her own money.

Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock in June 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. The former couple share two children together: a 7-year-old daughter, River Rose, and a 5-year-old son, Remington Alexander.