Kelly Clarkson is taking to the stage at the Country Music Awards this week, in what will be the first time since her bitter divorce battle finally ended.
The singer first met her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock backstage at the award ceremony in 2006.
Kelly, 40, initially cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the breakdown of their marriage, but she told viewers of her talk show that she "didn't see the split coming".
"2020 has been a dumpster fire," she said during her show's season premiere.
"2020 has brought a lot of change also to my personal life. Definitely didn't see anything coming that came.
"But what I'm dealing with is hard because it involves more than just my heart. It involves a lot of little hearts."
The pair got engaged in December 2012 and married a year later in Tennessee.
They had two children together daughter River, eight, and son Remington, six.
Kelly vowed to protect their two children as they battled out divorce proceedings for two years.
In March this year, LA Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon signed off on the terms of the split.
Kelly was granted primary custody of the two children.
She also got to keep their beautiful Vintage Valley Ranch in Montana which is worth an eye-watering $10.4m.
Brandon initially argued that he couldn't afford to buy his own place and demanded money from Kelly.
He is allowed to see the children one weekend a month.
The Because Of You hitmaker sold the family home in Los Angeles and now has her own place with the kids.
Kelly, who has a net worth of around $45 million, had signed a prenup with Brandon.
Despite this, he tried to challenge the pre-marital agreement and even went as far as to demand $5.2million a year in spousal support.
A court later ruled that she would have to pay $45,601 a month in child support until River and Remington turn 18.
She was also told to pay her ex spousal support of $115,000 monthly January 2024.
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However, now the proceedings are over, she spoke fondly of her ex during a chat with Khloe Kardashian on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
“It’s hard. I think it’s the most ridiculous thing sometimes when something doesn’t work out and you’re in a relationship and you’re so deeply in love, and people are like ‘Oh yeah, why can’t you [move on],” she explained.
“I’m like, I think I might always love that person, I don’t know if it goes away.”
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