Additional Coverage:
- Kelly Clarkson confesses she’s ‘lost’ a lot as she returns to talk show after mysterious absence (foxnews.com)
Kelly Clarkson marked her 1,000th episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show” with a heartfelt message to her audience, but also hinted at personal struggles. Welcoming a cheering crowd, Clarkson celebrated the milestone, reflecting on the laughter, tears, and shared experiences of the past five years.
“For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together…sang together…danced together,” she shared. However, she also admitted to personal losses during the show’s run, saying, “I’ve lost, alone, a lot.”
Though met with sympathetic murmurs from the audience, Clarkson didn’t elaborate on the comment.
She emphasized the sense of community fostered by the show, noting that she, her crew, and the audience “supported each other through a lot of ups and downs,” adding, “A lot of ups and downs personally as well.” Clarkson expressed gratitude for everyone involved in the show’s journey.
Clarkson’s return comes after an unexplained absence of nearly two weeks, during which guest hosts filled in. She returned briefly on March 18th but was absent again the following day before returning for her 1,000th episode on March 20th.
The milestone episode follows a tumultuous period for Clarkson, who finalized a highly publicized divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock in 2022. Their split involved a contentious battle over finances and custody, culminating in a legal victory for Clarkson earlier this year.
A California labor commissioner ordered Blackstock to pay Clarkson over $2.6 million for unlawfully procuring deals while acting as her manager. The ruling stated that Blackstock overstepped his managerial role by handling deals that should have been managed by her agent.
These deals included contracts with “The Voice,” the Billboard Music Awards, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” and Norwegian Cruise Line. Clarkson and Blackstock married in 2013, having met through Blackstock’s father, Narvel Blackstock, who owns the music management company that represented Clarkson beginning in 2007.
The divorce settlement granted Clarkson primary physical custody of their two children, with her paying Blackstock $45,000 a month in child support.