It wasn’t the easiest year for Kelly Clarkson amid her messy divorce from Brandon Blackstock. The break-up between the crossover singing sensation and Reba McEntire’s son was filled with litigation, fighting over their prenuptial agreement, and property ownership. And it was all happening in the public eye, which couldn't have helped anything. With Clarkson’s two main gigs being in front of the camera — hosting a daytime talk show and serving as the winningest coach on The Voice — she was left with no place to hide when the emotions hit. Now, looking at the big picture with a little distance from the initial split, Clarkson says she has no regrets.
Kelly Clarkson recently appeared on the Love Someone podcast with Delilah, where the singer talked about her holiday album — which includes the breakup song “Christmas Isn’t Canceled (Just You)." She talked about the importance of acknowledging that not everybody is necessarily happy around Christmas, and that people go through hard things all year round. But the pain of this divorce doesn’t make Clarkson regret her marriage, she said, because going through such hard times is what has informed and shaped her as a person. In her words:
I regret nothing. Even unfortunate things that happen in your life, or hard things, because ‘we can do hard things.’ Glennon Doyle, one of my favorites. But also I feel like that’s what shapes you, it’s what makes you a better person, it’s what makes you recognize, oh, okay, I missed those red flags. I missed that, or I ignored that on purpose.
Okay, is everybody else singing Kelly Clarkson’s hit “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” in their head right now, or is it just me? I love that she has such a positive perspective on everything she’s been through with her divorce. She recognizes the hardship as an opportunity to reflect on the relationship's positive and previously unrealized negatives, and to grow from it all. Clarkson credited her music and songwriting as her outlets, telling Delilah how therapeutic such creative endeavors have been for her. In fact, Clarkson using her music as an outlet is something her viewing audience has witnessed a little bit too!
Back in October, during one particular “Kellyoke” segment of The Kelly Clarkson Show, viewers noticed that the original American Idol champion changed a few of the lyrics when she sang Billie Eilish’s song “Happier Than Ever,” seemingly taking a shot at her ex and his apparent disdain for Los Angeles, where Clarkson’s TV jobs are.
“Irreconcilable differences” were cited when Kelly Clarkson filed to end her seven-year marriage in June 2020, after quarantining with her husband and children in Montana during COVID. A series of court battles followed, as Brandon Blackstock sued Clarkson for unpaid commissions as her former manager. Clarkson then countersued, accusing him of defrauding her. Blackstock later attempted to have her continue to pay for their Montana ranch, where he was still living, and also tried to have their prenup invalidated, but a judge ruled against him, and said Clarkson was the owner of the Montana property to do with it as she saw fit.
Kelly Clarkson is such an optimistic person who always seems to be laughing and joking around with a blazing smile on her face. It brings me joy to see her coming out of this troublesome situation as a stronger person. And if it all inspires a new album full of biting and hard-hitting tracks, everybody wins. Well, almost everybody.
Check your local listings to see when The Kelly Clarkson Show airs in your area, and also be sure to take a look at our 2022 TV Schedule to see what’s coming up in the new year.
