Kelly Clarkson Admits Using These Unhealthy Habits In Divorce

Kelly Clarkson's divorce from Brandon Blackstock has come with a lot of baggage. The television host recently admitted that following her split after seven years of marriage, she developed some "unhealthy habits." Per ET, the 41-year-old "Stronger" singer said in a new interview, "I don't know how people get through anything like that because I'm not going to say I did it gracefully. Behind closed doors by myself, it was not," she admitted. "Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle it well."

Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock in June 2020. It was finalized in March 2022 after the American Idol alum settled to pay him a one-time payment of just over $1.3 million and spousal support of $115,000 per month until January 31, 2024. The former couple shares children River Rose, 9, and Remington Alexander, 7, so she also pays a monthly child support payment of $45,601.

In her new interview, Kelly says she "had many sessions with just my friends of... I couldn't even speak. I was crying so hard... even before separating. There were just a lot of now-unhealthy habits you recognize or habits that you recognize you didn't see before. Hindsight is a lot easier."

Before Clarkson and Blackstock called it quits, they went to marriage counseling in an effort to try "to make it work." However, Clarkson said, she "knew in my heart it just wasn't going to." She came to the realization of: "'I can't fix this. I can't,' there's no amount of hope that will, or trying or whatever. It actually is freeing," she said, before adding, "It's incredibly sad. It's a dark place, and [the] fetal position on the floor crying. There's so much loss with that, and I'd never experienced grief like that, but I also think it's very freeing."

"Then we have two little kids watching us," Clarkson added. "And you don't want to set that example for, this is what they're going to set the bar for. I'm like, I don't want my kids to be in this relationship. I want them to aim higher." As we previously reported, she wanted to protect her children from being "those kids" of divorced parents at school.

Clarkson said "the worst part" of her divorce was the publicity of it. "No matter what I said to my friends, no one got... it being so public, misinformation, what things that were right, and then people talk to you about, and you want to scream at the top of your lungs," she said. "No one knows that, and I don't know theirs. Whatever theirs is, you can't experience full-on what someone else is experiencing. And it's very isolating."

Kelly Clarkson keeps cranking out amazing covers in her Kellyoke series. The singer and talk show host never fails to entertain with her genre-spanning covers. From Destiny's Child to Lenny Kravitz to Chris Stapleton, you don't know what song she will put her own spin on next.

Clarkson previously released an album of six of her covers from 2022 after "singing over 500" on The Kelly Clarkson Show, which she said was "near-impossible" to choose. The Kellyoke album was released in June of 2022 and features the following songs:

Announcing her upcoming 10th studio album, Chemistry, the singer said she didn’t want “everybody” to think that her emotions could just be simplified as angry or sad. She explained in a video, “This album is definitely the arc of an entire relationship, and a whole relationship shouldn’t be just brought down to one thing. So there’s the good, the bad, the ugly thing kinda going on in it.”

In addition to new music, Clarkson will also be heading to Las Vegas, singing fan favorites and new songs, for a 10-show residency starting July 28.

See our favorite Kellyoke performances of 2023 so far below:

Kelly playfully made Taylor's version her own, as she notes in the caption.

Kelly's rendition of "Do I Wanna Know?" is so powerful and we might like it even better than the original!

Kelly kicked off Black History Month with this powerhouse cover of Destiny Child's 2001 hit song.

Clarkson shows the softness of her voice in this beautiful ballad by emerging artist, Joy Oladokun.

Though it is impossible to out-sing Cher, Clarkson's rendition of 1998's "Strong Enough" is fun and high energy.

Clarkson gives CeCe Peniston a run for her money in this groovy dance cover.

Clarkson blew us away with her version of rock band Spacehog's 1994 song.

Kelly lets us know it ain't over till it's over in this Lenny Kravitz cover of "It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over."

The talk show host covered one of our favorite Janet Jackson songs: "When I Think of You."

Starting off the song slow, Kelly ups the energy in this classic dance pop song, "Gotta Get Thru This."

Kelly kicked off Spring with another Florence + the Machine cover, belting out "Free."

We are loving this soulful cover of Jazmine Sullivan's Grammy-award-winning song.

Kelly and Shazam!'s Zachary Levi harmonized beautifully in this cover of 'Something Stupid' by Nancy and Frank Sinatra.

We love how effortless and natural Kelly sounds in her cover of Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack."

Clarkson breathes new life into Death Cab for Cutie's "You Are a Tourist."

Kelly has the vocal power to make this Mazzy Star cover both dreamy and calming, yet powerful and commanding.

Kelly gave the Pixies a run for their money when she covered "Where Is My Mind?" in February.

Clarkson evoked her inner Stapleton when she covered this smooth cover of "Tennessee Whiskey."

Adele who? Clarkson blew her fellow powerhouse singer away in her rendition of this Adele classic.

These two powerhouse singers might be the most iconic pairing of all time! Kelly harmonizes beautifully with P!nk, allowing her to take the spotlight.

Her performance of Chris De Burgh's signature song from 1986 is simply beautiful.