Kelly Clarkson got real about how her personal struggles influenced her move to New York City ahead of season 5 of her talk show.
“I’ll be real honest: I thought I was making a horrible decision,” Clarkson, 41, told USA Today in an interview published on Monday, October 16, of her choice to relocate The Kelly Clarkson Show and her children to the Big Apple. “I knew I needed a fresh start and couldn’t be in L.A. I really wanted to be in Montana, but you can’t really do a show from there quite yet. So I was like, ‘The only other option would probably be New York.'”
Clarkson, who filed for divorce from Brandon Blackstock in June 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage, noted that despite initial hesitations, she is happy living in the city. Her and Blackstock’s two children, River Rose, 9, and Remington, 7, made the trip to NYC as Clarkson was awarded primary custody in March 2022.
“I genuinely love it, and I love that my kids love it,” she said, revealing that her new rental is “something nice” based close to all the action. “I was like, ‘I’m not living here unless it’s right by the park and really nice for the kids.’”
While Clarkson found success in L.A. with her daytime show, she explained that her first four seasons were somewhat tainted due to her relationship drama.
“Full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life,” Clarkson confessed. “I’ve learned a lot about what I’m capable of handling, and also what you should not handle. That was me saying ‘bye’ to The Voice and having this big move. I love that family, but I was like, ‘I’m struggling. I can’t smile anymore. I don’t feel like smiling.’”
The “Magic” singer is now taking back her happiness and embracing a new talk show setup at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
“What’s cool for me with season 5 is I am in such a great place, not only with my kids, but with me personally and with the show,” she continued. “I feel like a weight has lifted. That move was very needed.”
Clarkson admitted that she is “most excited” about season 5’s change of venue because “on a selfish level” she can finally start “showing up to work smiling and actually meaning it.”
She concluded: “That’s a beautiful gift that you don’t realize until you’re out of it.”
Clarkson and Blackstock, 46, finalized their messy divorce in March 2022. At the time, Clarkson agreed to pay her former spouse $115,000 per month in spousal support until January 2024. She also paid Blackstock a one-time fee of over $1.3 million.
The former Voice coach agreed to pay $45,601 a month in child support until their children turn 18, graduate high school or become self-supporting.
Earlier this year, Clarkson also faced scrutiny after Rolling Stone published an exposé in May, in which several past employees of talk show claimed that they were overworked, underpaid and found the work environment to be “traumatizing to their mental health.”
Clarkson addressed the controversy that same month. “In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I’ve always led with my heart and what I believed to be right. I love my team at The Kelly Clarkson Show, and to find out that anyone is feeling unheard and disrespected on this show is unacceptable,” she wrote in a statement at the time. “I have always been, and will continue to be, committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment at The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
She vowed: “As we prepare for a move to the East Coast, I am more committed than ever to ensuring that not only our team that is moving but also our new team in [New York] is comprised of the best and kindest in the business.”
NBC issued its own statement at the time, saying, “We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace complaints very seriously and to insinuate otherwise is untrue. When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as appropriate. The Kelly Clarkson Show strives to build a safe, respectful and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity.”
Season 5 of The Kelly Clarkson Show premieres on NBC Monday at 2 p.m. ET.
