Kelly Clarkson is a star in many areas of pop culture. After an impressive win on the original season of American Idol, she went on to have many Grammy-winning and chart-topping albums. She's also had her hand in acting, judging/roasting other panelists on The Voice, and now headlines her own daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. Things were all well and good – until quarantining with her kids and ex-husband in Montana last year threw the singer through a loop.
The Kelly Clarkson Show was actually filming its first season for NBC when COVID-19 hit last year. Safety concerns inevitably incited shutdowns for movie and television projects across the board. But Kelly Clarkson later endured by recording segments herself whilst quarantining with her two kids and (now) soon-to-be ex-husband Brandon Blackstock in Montana. Her experience, which she recently described in the New York Times, sounds like my worst nightmare realized:
We were in the middle of nowhere. The dryer broke. We’re going to the bathroom in the woods at some point. I’m 5’3" and a half, dude. I’m in snow up to my thighs. And I’m like, well, I have a camera. I’m trying to be America’s cheerleader. And I never completely broke down about it, but I definitely laughed hysterically at several moments.
Let's give Kelly Clarkson a standing ovation! It's one thing to endure the fear and panic that was at the heart of the COVID-19 quarantines last year. But adding snow and no indoor plumbing to the mix? Well, let's just say I don't think I would have been strong enough for anything, much less being “America's cheerleader.”
Not long after taking up quarantining in Montana, Kelly Clarkson filed for divorce from her husband Brandon Blackstock of seven years, citing irreconcilable differences. A series of court battles ensued over money, with Blackstock claiming he was owed unpaid commissions as her former manager and Clarkson countersuing that he had defrauded her. More recently, it has come to light that her ex-husband will be getting a lofty six figures in spousal and child support from Clarkson, which completely flabbergasted many of her fans. Clarkson ended up getting her own win in court, though, concerning the fate of their dreaded quarantine Montana house.
Despite her quarantine struggles and messy divorce proceedings, Kelly Clarkson has found major success in her daytime talk show. It won three Emmys this year and will take over The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s coveted slot on NBC this spring. As for the singer’s perspective on the latter situation, she said:
No one can take over for Ellen. It’s an iconic show.
In the meantime, Kelly Clarkson is living it up. Here's hoping that post-divorce life will always be much different than quarantine life was (with some much-needed indoor plumbing as well).
