Kelly Clarkson Gets Candid About Marriage, Divorce From Brandon Blackstock: ‘Limiting’ Relationship

Opening up. Kelly Clarkson got candid about her marriage to Brandon Blackstock, which ended when Kelly, 41, filed for divorce in June 2020, in a new interview on Glennon Doyle’s “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast on June 13. The “Since U Been Gone” singer revealed that she felt like her “light” dimmed during her relationship with Brandon, 46.

“You choose to dim it. If I’m not around people like friends, families and lovers that are OK with the amount of light that I have then we’re just not meant to be together and that’s OK,” she explained. “But to dull yourself so you feel like somebody else can shine or so you feel like you’re not in the way or whatever the situation is… that’s not a healthy way to live.”

Kelly added that she also felt “limited” with Brandon.

“And I don’t feel like that’s the truth for all marriages, I just think that was my case. To say that’s just his fault, that’s my fault for allowing that to happen. That’s my work as well. It could also be limiting because as in love as I was, I just wasn’t ready. Maybe the other person wasn’t either and you try to make it work but it doesn’t,” she continued.

Kelly married Brandon, whose father Narvel Blackstock was her manager, in October 2013 after they began dating in late 2011. The former couple welcomed their daughter, River Rose, in June 2014, followed by son Remington Alexander in April 2016.

After seven years together, Kelly filed for divorce from Brandon, citing “irreconcilable differences,” In Touch confirmed at the time. They were declared legally single in August 2021, and the divorce was finalized in March 2022. Kelly gained primary custody of River and Remington, with the kids spending one weekend per month with Brandon in Montana. Brandon is also receiving $115,000 per month in spousal support, plus additional child support, Us Weekly confirmed.

Kelly revealed on the podcast that her “ego” made her stay in the relationship for so long before deciding to end it. 

“[I thought,] ‘I can do this. I can handle so much.’ My ego is, ‘I can control my actions, I can control my reactions, I can do this and I can reach this person and I can get through.’ It becomes a little bit of your ego that gets in the way,” she said.

Additionally, Kelly told Glennon she didn’t want her kids to have divorced parents at young ages like Kelly did. Her parents divorced when she was 6 years old.

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“It’s a little different — they grew up here and it’s a very progressive city. But in the south, there was like two of us with divorced parents in our class. So it was very different,” she added. “Even when you come down to like, daddy-daughter dances and you don’t have anyone show up. You have to think about all of those things and you play it out differently in your head too.”

Now that she’s single, however, Kelly is focusing on herself again as she’s “working through a lot of stuff.” The right person will accept that about her.

“I’m a firework and I’m OK with that. I’m very spontaneous and I’m very communicative and I’m very… I’m just very,” Kelly said. “I’m a walking empath. I think [the right person] needs to be somebody who prizes that or who thinks that’s cool.”