Kelly Clarkson Alludes to Reason for Divorce by Sharing Advice Her Mother Gave Her

It’s been a rough 2020 for all of us and Kelly Clarkson is taking stock of a year she’s described as a “dumpster fire.” One of the lowest points of the year for the entertainer has been her divorce from ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. However, she’s not letting the proceedings make her miserable, instead, she’s looking at the divorce as an opportunity for personal growth.

On her talk show on Tuesday, November 24, Clarkson answered the prompt, “I’m grateful in 2020 for the lesson I learned about…” with the response: “myself.” She went on to give a candid explanation that hinted at a possible reason why she divorced Blackstock in June.

Kelly Clarkson is proving that life’s toughest obstacles only make you stronger after divorce from Brandon Blackstock.

“Even at 38, I feel like I’m always changing and progressing in a good sense, in a good way,” Clarkson told viewers of The Kelly Clarkson Show. “And I always want to make sure I’m being the best version of myself.”

The “Breakaway” singer explained that her mother, Jeanne Taylor, gave her the most important nugget of advice.

“My mom has been telling me since I was a kid: You are who you surround yourself with,” Clarkson shared. “You want to make sure you’re surrounded by people that also want to be the best versions of themselves and also want a good common goal for everyone, not just themselves, right?”

“People, like, could be bad for you in a certain time,” she continued. “And I think that everybody just goes, ‘Oh, well that means they’re bad.’ Well it doesn’t necessarily mean that, it just means that you’re on different paths. And I think that that’s okay.” The mom of two added, “Everybody’s on a different learning curve.” 

The superstar shares 6-year-old daughter River Rose and 4-year-old son Remington Alexander with Blackstock, whom she married in 2013. She told fans in September that her children are the reason she wouldn’t be “truly open” about her breakup, in order to protect them: “I’m a mama bear and my kids come first.” 

In the first episode of her talk show this season, Clarkson revealed that she did not see the divorce coming. She did acknowledge that “2020 has brought a lot of change also to my personal life.” She’s since described the split as the “worst thing ever.”

And at the time of the separation, her inner circle was just as “shocked” to hear the news. An insider told E! News, “They were always such a loving family. It never seemed like they had any issues.”

Now it appears they were simply “on different paths,” as she said last week.

E! News also reported that the divorce was made even more painful because her ex’s father, Narvel Blackstock, who has been Clarkson’s longtime manager, sued her following the split for unpaid commissions. Her former father-in-law alleged in September that Clarkson owed $1.4 million to Starstruck Management Group.

The singer recently made news for sharing that she’s put her children in therapy to help them cope with the callout of her and Blackstock’s divorce.

We have a lot of help as far as therapists or child psychologists because we want to do it right,” Clarkson shared in an interview.

“I definitely want to do it right. Everyone’s sad and it’s okay to be sad.”

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“It’s just one day when you’re like, ‘Wow, this has forever changed and it’s not just my heart has changed, there’s [sic] other little hearts, too,” she continued.

Clarkson also shared how it has been hard to deal with the divorce as a public figure and “at the same time protecting these little kids you adore.”

We are so grateful that Clarkson has been as open as she can be about her divorce, her motivations, and how she’s moving forward. Divorce happens. Clarkson is helping to normalize it and show how to successfully maneuver through one of the toughest things a person can go through.