Kelly Clarkson's ‘painful' personal issues may force her to leave hit TV show: ‘What has happened has given her…'

Indian Express

3 days ago

Kelly Clarkson has undergone a major transformation over the past few months—from dramatically shedding weight to finalising her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, and then vanishing from her show for two weeks without offering much of an explanation to ease fans' growing concern. A rep later chalked it up to a 'private matter.' But on the March 20th episode, Clarkson broke down in tears during the show's 1000th episode, saying, 'I've lost, alone, a lot,' hinting she'd been dealing with something far heavier behind the scenes.
Also read: Kelly Clarkson seeks divorce from husband of nearly 7 years
'This has all been very painful for her,' an industry insider who's worked closely with Clarkson told Page Six. 'She's someone who wants to be liked and keeps pushing herself. But this time, she knew she had to step back.' The source added, 'Like all of us, Kelly wants to be liked, but she had to face this new phase in her life head-on. Stepping back wasn't easy, but it was necessary.' An April report from NewsNation revealed that Blackstock had fallen ill, and Clarkson had to take the kids to see him, a move that hinted at her softened stance towards his ex after a messy divorce. During her brief break, the show called in some heavy-hitters, Andy Cohen, Wanda Sykes, and Brooke Shields, to keep things rolling. The insider noted, 'Her priorities are clear: family comes first. But I think the whole thing humbled her. What's happened has given her a real moment of clarity.'
Kelly Clarkson and her former music manager, Brandon Blackstock, were married for seven years and share two kids—River Rose and Remy. Clarkson, on the other hand, has stayed vocal about their messy divorce, admitting she didn't exactly handle it like a pro. 'Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle [the divorce] well,' she said on Apple Music in 2023. 'Kelly grew up without a father, and she had an incredible love story with Brandon,' a friend told Page Six. 'She's a compassionate, caring person, and everything she's been through recently has helped her move past the divorce.'
Also read: Nick Jonas says 'it's scary' to think of Malti Marie in showbiz after 'what Priyanka and I went through…'
Sources say she's planning to walk away when her contract wraps in 2026, after season 7, which is going to sting for everyone involved, considering The Kelly Clarkson Show single-handedly pulls in around a million viewers a day. But, NBC doesn't want to burn her out and given that the profit margin has declined, they may be ready to pull the curtain down. In the fallout, she also lost her biggest support, Brandon. As her manager, he played a massive role in her career, even helping her score the multi-million-dollar NBC deal that gave her The Voice, the daytime show, and more.
Clarkson recently launched her own music label, High Road Records, and is said to be working with celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger, while also gearing up for her Las Vegas residency kicking off July 4. But trying to juggle all of that solo, on top of raising two kids, might've been more overwhelming than she let on. Kelly admitted she weighed 203 pounds at one point and had started a doctor-recommended weight-loss medication.