Kelly Clarkson’s Ups and Downs Through the Years: Career Highs, Relationship Lows and More

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Kelly Clarkson’s Ups and Downs Through the Years: Career Highs, Relationship Lows and More

Our lives would suck without her! Kelly Clarkson has experienced success in the music industry, a messy divorce and first-time motherhood since she became a star. The singer was born on April 24, 1982, in Fort Worth, Texas. Her talent was apparent from a young age, making her a natural for season 1 of American Idol. She won the reality competition series in 2002, propelling her to fame. From that point forward, her music career was unstoppable, leading to hits such as “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” “Since U Been Gone,” “Because of You” and “My Life Would Suck Without You.” Despite becoming a fan favorite on American Idol, Clarkson later revealed that celebrities were initially not kind to her because of her affiliation with the show. “Everything was happening in a whirlwind and people were really mean to us because we’re from a talent show and it was the first season,” she recalled during a January 2021 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show. “Everyone was so rude to us, like, on the [red] carpet, at [an awards] show … it was a horrible experience.” [jwplayer Cc6zdlDT-zhNYySv2] Clarkson also revealed in 2019 how she had to overcome obstacles in Hollywood because of her participation on the show. “The first three years of my career was me just paying for winning a talent show,” she told USA Today. “I got real bitter. I was just looking for anyone to talk to who knew what I was going through.” The Voice coach ultimately proved the naysayers wrong, and after years in the spotlight, she found personal happiness with Brandon Blackstock, whom she wed in 2013. They welcomed daughter River and son Remington before she filed for divorce in 2020. A judge approved the duo's settlement in March 2022 after previously declaring them single by law in August 2021. Clarkson struggled with the public split and how much she should share. “I am a very open person, but I’m not going to be able to be truly open about this in certain aspects because there’s kids involved,” she told the Los Angeles Times in September 2020. “I think that I will navigate a way in which to be open and honest about it eventually, probably via [The Kelly Clarkson Show], and it’ll probably, I’m assuming, happen organically when someone says something in conversation or something. It definitely wouldn’t be planned.” She added: “There are a lot of little hearts involved in this and while people feel, ‘Oh, my gosh, what a loss,’ imagine how it is in the epicenter of the storm. It’s a lot to process and deal with, just as a family. So because it’s not just me, I probably won’t go too deep with it.” Scroll through the gallery below to revisit Clarkson’s ups and downs through the years: [podcast_block]

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Tough Childhood

The Grammy winner’s parents divorced when she was 6. While she stayed with her mother, Jeanne, her brother, Jason, went to live with their father, Stephen, and her sister, Alyssa, moved to their aunt’s house. The division caused Clarkson to be estranged from her father.  

She broke down in tears while performing "Piece by Piece" — a song about her relationship with her father — on American Idol in 2016. "It’s kind of incredibly sad how many people relate to the message," she said on the Z100 Morning Show at the time. "I think that’s what’s kind of awesome but disturbing because it’s been a really remarkable thing after singing it — the response from it. I’m excited to be a vessel for a message that touches people, but at the same time I’m like, 'God, I wish it didn’t touch that many people.'"

Clarkson told Forbes in February 2019 that she “really did try and make it work with my father” but was “completely let down,” revealing that he had died months earlier.

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The 1st Idol

Clarkson won season 1 of American Idol in September 2002. Her debut single, “A Moment Like This,” became the best-selling single of the year in the U.S. She released her first album, Thankful, in April 2003. The record debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum. Later that year, she made her film debut in From Justin to Kelly. 

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Breaking Away

The talk show host distanced herself from American Idol with the release of her second album, Breakaway, in November 2004. It became her most commercially successful record, spawning hits “Breakaway,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Because of You” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes.” She won Grammys for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. 

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Getting Edgy

Clarkson released her darkest album yet, My December, in June 2007. Although she took creative control by producing and co-writing the songs, RCA scaled back promotion because the label was not pleased with the project’s direction. 

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Back to Her Roots

The Texas native returned to her old sound on her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, in March 2009. The record, which featured “My Life Would Suck Without You,” received a Best Pop Vocal Album nod at the Grammys. 

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Going Country

Clarkson allowed country music to influence her fifth album, Stronger, which was released in October 2011. She garnered a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, making her the first artist to win twice in the category. The record also included her best-selling single to date, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).”  

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Hitched

The musician began dating Blackstock in 2012, and the couple tied the knot in October 2013. He became her manager, while she became a stepmother to his two children, daughter Savannah and son Seth, from his previous marriage to Melissa Ashworth. The same month as her wedding, Clarkson dropped her first Christmas album, Wrapped in Red.

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Motherhood

Clarkson and Blackstock welcomed daughter River in June 2014 and son Remington in April 2016. She continued to make music while adjusting to motherhood, releasing her seventh album, Piece by Piece, in February 2015. 

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New Venture

The TV personality dropped her eighth album, Meaning of Life, in October 2017. She then began appearing as a coach on The Voice during season 14, which premiered in February 2018. Her team went on to win seasons 14, 15, 17 and 21. 

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Talking It Out

Clarkson started hosting her daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, in September 2019. She has since won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards.  

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A Messy Split

The American Idol alum filed for divorce from Blackstock in June 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. "They clashed on so many levels, and being in quarantine together heightened their problems to the point of no return," an insider revealed at the time.

Us Weekly confirmed in November 2020 that she was granted primary custody of their two children. The talent manager’s father Narvel Blackstock’s company also sued Clarkson in September 2020, claiming that she owed them $1.4 million in unpaid commissions. She countersued, accusing the management company of violating California Labor Code.  

“She could no longer trust Brandon, and she felt that Brandon was just using her for her money and lifestyle,” a source told Us in August 2021 of the issues that led to their split. “She had tremendous resentment toward him. She just wasn’t willing to look the other way anymore.”  

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Single Again

Us confirmed in September 2021 that Clarkson was declared legally single. However, she and Blackstock continued to hash out the details of their divorce. She attempted to have him evicted from their Montana ranch but ultimately gave him a 5.12 percent share of the property in January 2022. Amid the drama, she dropped her ninth album, When Christmas Comes Around, in October 2021.  

Leading up to a trial over their property, a source told Us that Clarkson would "not even entertain the idea of settling with Brandon," adding that he would "not get one penny from her that isn't ordered by the judge."

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New Kelly

Clarkson filed to legally change her name to Kelly Brianne, noting in court documents obtained by Us in February 2022 that her first and middle names “more fully [reflect] who I am.”  

Earlier that month, she admitted that she was "so broken" while quarantining with her kids. "Sometimes women don't rise," she said. "Sometimes we fall." 

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It's Official

The singer and her former spouse reached a divorce settlement in March 2022, with Clarkson being awarded primary custody. At the time, a judge approved the validity of the duo's prenup despite Blackstock's attempt to contest the agreement. The music exec was granted $115,000 per month in spousal support and an additional $45,600 in child support.

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Talk Show Allegations

Clarkson’s eponymous talk show, which she has hosted since 2019, was the subject of a May 2023 exposé by Rolling Stone. The outlet interviewed several former show staffers, who all claimed that behind the scenes of The Kelly Clarkson Show had been a toxic work environment. The employees, who remained anonymous, alleged that they were overworked, underpaid and found the situations to be “traumatizing to their mental health.”

The Rolling Stone report did note that Clarkson herself did not contribute to the allegedly poor working conditions.

A spokesperson for NBCU, who airs the show, later told Us in a statement that they are “committed to a safe and respectful work environment” and take workplace complaints “very seriously.”

“When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as appropriate,” the statement added. “The Kelly Clarkson Show strives to build a safe, respectful and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity.”