Kelly Clarkson's life and career were under a microscope in 2025, and when it was revealed that her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock had passed away, people were shocked. Over a year later, the singer is revealing just how much was happening behind the scenes.
© Kevin MazurDuring an appearance on Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, Clarkson opened up about her late ex-husband with unknown details about their divorce.
Clarkson and her late husband said "I do" in 2013 and welcomed two children. She filed for divorce in June 2020, and after a lengthy legal battle, their divorce was finalized in March 2022.
She revealed in the interview that when she performed Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” at the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards, her divorce had just been finalized 30 minutes before. The late singer had personally asked her to sing that song.
© Getty“Not many people knew,” Clarkson explained on Las Culturistas. “My divorce papers, everything was final, my life, 30 minutes before that performance.”
Clarkson said she learned the news shortly before she was scheduled to perform and then found herself backstage with Parton. “I was like, ‘I’m sorry. It’s just kind of a wild moment for me,’” she recalled.
© VarietyParton, who was watching from the side of the stage, noticed that something was wrong. Clarkson said the two shared a moment backstage that she has never forgotten.
“She’s just one of those people you don’t have to know your whole life, but you can in one instance,” Clarkson said. “Every time we ran into each other, she was so cool. It’s like you’re catching up with an old friend.”
Clarkson did not reveal exactly what Parton said to her, but she described the exchange as “really beautiful” and “really helpful.”
© NBCThe timing made the performance even more surreal. Clarkson was singing a song about love and heartbreak while privately processing the official end of her own marriage.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, you cannot break. This moment isn’t about you. This is a tribute to someone,’” she recalled.
Kelly is choosing her kids over dating
© GettyMore than four years after her divorce was finalized, Clarkson is in a very different place, but she is not interested in rushing into another relationship.
When Rogers and Yang asked whether she was dating, Clarkson made it clear her kids are the main concern. “My kids right now, I think there’s a lot behind that, but I think that would rock their boat a little bit,” she said.
© NBCClarkson shares River, 12, and Remington, 10, with Blackstock. Their father died in August 2025 at age 48 following a private battle with melanoma.
Rather than looking for another relationship, Clarkson said she is enjoying the life she has built with her children. “And honestly, this is not a bulls*** answer,” she said. “I love my life right now.”
“I am unwilling” to give up some of that time for a relationship, she explained.
