Following the allegations that The Kelly Clarkson Show created toxic work environment, host Kelly Clarkson has issued a statement.
“In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I’ve always led with my heart and what I believed to be right,” the former American Idol champ, 41, wrote in an Instagram note on Saturday, May 13. “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 continued: “I have always been, and will continue to be, committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment at The Kelly Clarkson Show. 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.”
Clarkson — whose eponymous talk show is set to relocate to New York City for its upcoming fifth season — further revealed how she planned to implement changes to address the allegations.
“Part of that build will include leadership training for all senior staff, including myself,” she continued her Saturday statement. “There is always room to grow and ensure we are all being/becoming the best version of ourselves in any business, especially when it comes to leadership to ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated.”
News broke on Friday, May 12, that the Texas native’s show supposedly fostered poor working conditions and “traumatized” its staffers. Rolling Stone published an exposé at the time, including interviews with several former employees about their experience working for the Los Angeles-based talk show. The staffers claimed that they were overworked, underpaid and found the environment to be “traumatizing to their mental health.” The production members also alleged that they shared their complaints with the show’s human resources department to no avail.
“I remember going up on the roof of the stage to cry being like, ‘Oh my gosh, what am I doing? Why am I putting myself through this?’” one former team member, who remained anonymous, told Rolling Stone.
Another staffer alleged that the “Miss Independent” songstress has “no clue how unhappy” her team is, with a third reiterating that Clarkson herself is “fantastic.”
A spokesperson for NBCUniversal, which airs The Kelly Clarkson Show, later told Us Weekly in a statement that they are “committed to a safe and respectful work environment” and take such complaints “very seriously.”
“When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as appropriate,” their statement concluded. “The Kelly Clarkson Show strives to build a safe, respectful and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity.”
Clarkson has helmed her own talk show since 2019, even winning 13 Daytime Emmys for the program. Season 4, which aired earlier this year, moved into Ellen DeGeneres’ 4:00 p.m. time slot.
Amid the show’s success and backstage allegations, it is gearing up to relocate from Los Angeles to Manhattan for the next season. The Kelly Clarkson Show will air inside Rockefeller Center, where several other NBC shows are filmed.
“Kelly is really excited for this next chapter and looking forward to a fresh start,” a source exclusively told Us earlier this month. “This move won’t have much of an impact on Kelly and Brandon [Blackstock]’s coparenting relationship since they already live in different states, and she has primary custody.”
The “Breakaway” artist and Blackstock, 46, split in 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. After their messy divorce was finalized in March 2022, they’ve continued to coparent daughter River Rose, 8, and son Remington, 7.
