Kelly Clarkson will never forget the day her then-husband and manager, Brandon Blackstock, allegedly told her she wasn’t “sexy” enough to sit in a red chair on The Voice.

In testimony to a California labor commissioner, Clarkson claimed she had been eyeing a spot as a coach on the hit NBC show for years, only to have Blackstock repeatedly shut her down. According to her, he said the network wanted a “sex symbol type” like Rihanna, someone “sexy” and, in his words, “someone that was black” to fulfill diversity requirements. He allegedly told her she was “too similar” to Blake Shelton, who was already a fixture on the show.

For Clarkson, the comment stung in a way she could never forget. “A wife doesn’t forget a time she gets told she’s not a sex symbol, so that stays,” she told her lawyer during the hearing.

The exchange was part of a larger, bitter legal battle between the former couple that erupted after their messy 2020 split. Blackstock wasn’t just her husband, he was also her manager, which complicated everything when the marriage unraveled. The California labor commissioner later ruled that Blackstock had overstepped his role by unlawfully booking deals for Clarkson that only licensed agents are allowed to negotiate. One of those deals was The Voice gig itself, for which Clarkson said she had been kept in the dark until after NBC made an offer.

The ruling ordered Blackstock to repay Clarkson $2.64 million, including nearly $2 million tied to The Voice contract and additional commissions from deals with Wayfair, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and the Billboard Music Awards. The commissioner’s decision also noted that Blackstock’s account of events “changed several times” and that he was “not a credible witness” on nearly every issue. Blackstock has appealed the decision.

Despite his alleged comments, Clarkson joined The Voice as a coach in 2018, stayed through 2021, and later returned in 2023. She balanced her time on the show with hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show, all while navigating the fallout from her divorce.

Clarkson and Blackstock were married for nearly seven years before she filed for divorce in June 2020. The split turned into a high-profile court battle over their Montana ranch, custody of their two children, River Rose, now 9, and Remington, now 7, and financial support. The final settlement in 2022 required Clarkson to pay $45,000 a month in child support and $115,000 a month in spousal support until January 2024.

When that last payment was made, a source close to Clarkson said she felt “relieved” and ready for a “fresh start.” The timing of her financial freedom came just before the labor commissioner’s ruling in her favor, which added a final sting to an already complicated history.

If there’s any poetic justice here, it’s that Clarkson got to prove her doubters, including her ex, wrong on a national stage. Not only did she land The Voice job despite being told she wasn’t “sexy” enough, but she also thrived in it, becoming a fan favorite and holding her own alongside Shelton and other heavyweights.

She might not fit some outdated Hollywood idea of a “sex symbol,” but Clarkson has built a career and a legacy on talent, grit, and authenticity. And judging by her wins in both courtrooms and on stage, she’s doing just fine without anyone else’s definition of sexy.