Kelly Clarkson is changing her name after two decades in the spotlight

By Wonderwall.com Editors 4:03am PST, Feb 20, 2022

Kelly Clarkson files to legally change her name

Following her difficult and often contentious split from Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson became legally single and ditched her former married name in September 2021. Now, the talk show host and singer is taking her newfound single identity one step further. On Valentine's Day, Kelly, 39, filed to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne, according to Us Weekly. In her filing, she reportedly said using Brianne, her middle name, "more fully reflects who I am." It's unclear if she plans to continue using "Kelly Clarkson" on her eponymous show. The request comes after the "American Idol" veteran agreed to pay her ex a 5.12 percent share of the Montana ranch she bought with her own money during their marriage. She'd previously won sole ownership of the property after fighting with Brandon over it (he reportedly refused to vacate the premises). Earlier on in their divorce, she was ordered to pay Brandon nearly $200,000 a month in spousal and child support, as the two sued each other over commissions related to her TV work that Brandon claimed he and his father were owed through their talent agency. Kelly's name change petition is slated for a hearing on March 28.

Keep reading to see why Brad Pitt just sued Angelina Jolie …

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Brad Pitt sues Angelina Jolie over Chateau Miraval stake sale

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are headed back to court. Again. On Feb. 17, Brad filed suit against his ex in Los Angeles on grounds she failed to get his consent first when she sold her stake in their winery in southeast France, Chateau Miraval, to a section of Stoli Group, a spirits company controlled by Russian oligarch Yuri Shefler, the Guardian reported on Feb. 18. The former couple — whose 2016 divorce has yet to be settled (though they're legally single) — had agreed neither of them would sell their stake in the winery without first getting an OK on the sale from the other person. In July 2021, Angelina reportedly told a judge handling their divorce she had lined up a sale of her stake in the company. Brad agreed a few months later that she could pursue a sale, but says in the lawsuit that she was still expected to get his approval on the buyer before closing the deal. He says she never did that. According to TMZ, Brad claims Angelina "intentionally" kept the sale details from him. He found out in October that he now shares the controlling stake in the winery with the Stoli subsidiary, Tenute del Mondo, and according to TMZ, the new co-owners are making it difficult for him to operate the business the way he has been. He also can no longer use the chateau as a residence in France. The lawsuit further notes Brad "poured money and sweat equity" into making Miraval the success it is today, while she had little to do with the company. Revenue from Miraval's highly rated rose reportedly exceeds $50 million a year, according to The Guardian. In the documents, Brad says Angelina is after "unearned windfall profits" from his hard work and has caused him "gratuitous harm." Brad's asking for unspecified damages for breach of contract and he's asked the court to nix the sale since it wasn't done one the agreed upon terms. Reps for Angelina had not yet commented on the case as of Feb. 18.

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Kanye West objects to Kim Kardashian's divorce petition

Kanye West has filed an official objection to Kim Kardashian's divorce petition, including her request to be declared legally single as the proceedings continue. According to multiple reports, the rapper's response suggests he's worried Kim could remarry before they've hashed out final agreements on custody of their four kids and who gets which property from their marriage. In his filing, Kanye says he wants to ensure his assets are secure before a ruling is made on Kim becoming legally single. He says Kim's lawyer has rejected his requests to that end — but Kim's lawyer says a number of the demands are "unnecessary," given the pair's extensive prenup, which kept most of their major assets separate to begin with. That's where Ye's interest in waiving marital privilege starts to seem like the central component of his filing. Per Page Six, "without marital privilege, all communications between [Kim and Kanye] would be part of the court record." Given Kim's ongoing romance with Pete Davidson — not to mention, Kanye's habits of dissing Pete publicly and pleading for Kim to come back — his objection reads as if he's concerned wedding bells could be on the horizon for his ex and "Saturday Night Live" star. Kim's legal marital status is slated to be addressed at a hearing in March. Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February 2021.

Elliot Page set to release memoir in 2023

Since coming out as transgender in December 2020, "Umbrella Academy" star Elliot Page has often spoken publicly about his experience as a trans person. Now, he's getting ready to release his first memoir. Due out on Flatiron Books in 2023, "Pageboy" "… will delve into [Elliot's] relationship with his body" and "his experiences as one of the most famous trans people in the world," the publisher told the Associated Press (via People). The book will also "cover mental health, assault, love, relationships, sex, and the cesspool that Hollywood can be," they added. Speaking to Oprah Winfrey on "The Oprah Conversation" last spring, Elliot opened up about the "dichotomy" he now feels in his body, "… where on some level it feels just like the most miraculous, amazing thing — and it's also just the experience of, 'Oh, there I am." Asked why it was important to him to detail his top surgery experience in an interview with Time, the Oscar-nominated star said, "I wanted to share with people just how much it has changed my life. And I want people to know that not only has it been life changing for me, I do believe it is life saving and it's the case for so many people … and because there is such an attack on trans health care right now, when already there is such a lack of access or trans people who don't even want to go to the doctor."

Newly engaged Simone Biles says her ring 'beats a gold medal'

Move over, Olympic medals — Simone Biles' new prized possession is the ring Jonathan Owens slipped on her finger on Valentine's Day. The G.O.A.T. of women's gymnastics and her new fiance, a safety for the Houston Texans, appeared on the Feb. 18 edition of "Today," where they adorably rehashed their engagement story, beginning with their initial Instagram meetup in March 2020. "We clicked really really well in the beginning because we're athletes and we have the same busy schedules," Simone recalled. "But other than that, since it was kind of a COVID relationship, we were with each other 24/7, so I feel like now when we're not with each other it's almost weird. We're always texting or calling each other. It's kind of gross in a way," she joked. Jonathan, meanwhile, said his first inkling Simone was the real deal came when he noticed a certain family member was a huge fan. "My dog really loved her," he said of his bulldog, Zeus. "I could kind of see his face like whenever I would pick my bookbag up in my apartment, he would think we're leaving to go to her place, so he would sprint to the front door. And I'd be like, 'Huh, you really like her!'" As time went on, Jonathan said he "started to want to see her more." She apparently felt the same way, because she "stopped leaving" his house. After the two moved in together, he got his courage together and asked her father for her hand in marriage. "I was a little nervous at first," he admitted. "And for the longest [time], Simone was sitting right next to us so I couldn't really say what I wanted and then she left so I was like, 'OK. I finally got the cue.'" Finally, Jonathan got down on one knee on Feb. 14 and proposed. On Instagram, Simone later called the decision "the easiest yes." As for that ring? "It's definitely my most prized possession now and I'm always wearing it," she said on "Today." "I had to wash my hair the other day, and I took it off just in case. I didn't know if it was gonna get caught or anything. I have to ask my mom like, 'When do you take it off? Do you ever take it off?' But it definitely beats a gold medal," she added.

Beverly Johnson reflects on returning to the runway at 69 at NYFW

When Beverly Johnson made history as the first Black woman to appear on the cover of American Vogue in 1974, she sparked a new era for diversity and representation in fashion. Earlier this month, she finally staged a return to New York Fashion Week, walking in runway shows for both Sergio Hudson and Bibhu Mohapatra. "Because we've been going through so much these last few years, [this season felt] so positive and uplifting," the supermodel told Vogue of her decision to hit the catwalk again at 69. "The energy was contagious; people were laughing and smiling. People just needed that little breakthrough," she said. Her trailblazing career also got a salute on the Mohapatra runway. "He had all Black girls in the show, in honor of me," she revealed. "I'm getting ready to cry right now. It was one of those moments that you'll remember for the rest of your life." One thing she seems not to have remembered over the years, though, was how to nail her runway walk. In addition to doing lots of pilates to prep for the shows, Beverly said she enlisted "runway walk expert" Miss J, who's appeared on "America's Next Top Model" for some help. "He turned me around, People think it's just walking, but it's not," Beverly explained. "He taught me to walk with my shoulders back, stomach in, and you lean the top part of your body back." She went on to joke that it's basically "impossible to walk like that," before hinting that she could be back on the runway in Europe in the very near future. "I'm the type of girl that says yes to everything," she said. "It's so easy to say no. When you say no, it ends everything — but when you say yes, you open yourself up to all the possibilities."

Delilah Hamlin says she's six months sober after accidental overdose

Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin's daughter, Delilah Hamlin, is celebrating six months of sobriety this week. The model, 23, posted about her mile marker on her Instagram Stories on Feb. 17, sharing a video that showed her jumping up and down. "Hi, I'm six months sober!" she says in the short clip, according to E! News. Though she's said elsewhere on Instagram that her litany of medical issues — which range from Lyme disease and Epstein-Barr virus to encephalitis — prevent her from drinking alcohol, she accidentally overdosed on prescription pills last year. At the time, she told social media followers a psychiatrist had prescribed too strong a dose of Xanax, which she said she became physically "dependent" on. When she added what turned out to have been too much of a drug called Propranolol to the mix, plus Benadryl, she said, "I ended up in the hospital." She said she'd been having panic attacks, hence the anti-anxiety meds, but when she started having seizures last summer, she started to feel "hopeless" and eventually checked into a treatment center for help detoxing from all the meds and eradicating her Xanax dependency.

Chris Daughtry's wife Deanna opens up about 'accepting' the death of their daughter

As Chris Daughtry and his wife, Deanna Daughtry, continue to mourn the death of their 25-year-old daughter, Deanna is grateful for the support her family's been offered. She's also trying to be patient with herself as she moves into an "acceptance" phase. Last fall, the couple announced Hannah, Deanna's daughter from a previous relationship and Chris' step-daughter, had ended her life while under the influence of drugs on Nov. 12. They said she'd been struggling with addiction and mental health issues for some time, but news of her death was still an enormous shock. "Chris and I would like to thank our family, friends and Daughtry fans for the kind expressions of sympathy over the last few months. Although we cannot reach out to each of you individually, it is our hope that you sense our deep appreciation for your love and support," Deanna, shared on Instagram on Feb. 18. "It's challenging to know how to move forward after such loss. I honestly just want to hide in my bubble and be alone if I'm not loving on my husband and children but I'm acutely aware that the world doesn't stop for our grief," she continued in the caption to the text post. She went on to write that some of her "suffering" seems to "dissipate" when she accepts what's happened without "needing it to change." "I'm accepting Hannah is gone, I'm accepting that the world isn't going to stop for me and I'm accepting where I am in this process at this moment," she wrote. In closing, Deanna warned that she may need to "share deep thoughts and feelings" on social media, saying, "I accept that as well. I hope you all will too, before adding "a special thank you to our people who really showed up for us."

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