Kelly Clarkson has risen from tragic circumstances to reach the very top of the entertainment industry. With a wildly successful music career topped with a wildly popular talk show and stint as a coach on “The Voice,” Clarkson has been a mainstay in our lives since she became the original “American Idol” in 2002. But some rumors suggest her journey to stardom didn’t come without some shady behavior here and there. 

Advertisement

From showing her disdain for a fellow country star and “American Idol” winner, to her lack of honesty regarding her weight loss journey and the drama surrounding the working conditions on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” she has faced accusations of dubious behavior. And Clarkson’s shadiness has become more visible following her divorce. Perhaps Clarkson is trying to match Brandon Blackstock’s shady side. Who knows, but she has definitely risen to the occasion a few times since their split.

In 2024, Clarkson shared the shady way she really feels about co-parenting with her ex. While discussing the challenges of raising kids after the end of a marriage on the “Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce” podcast, she used sarcasm to highlight her state of mind. “There’s a lot that I keep in. Because co-parenting is fun,” she said, adding that her children expect her to be present 100% of the time while accepting that Blackstock has to work, so it’s okay for him to miss things. Clarkson has a lot to be proud of, but that doesn’t mean she can’t throw some shade.

Advertisement

Kelly Clarkson’s syndicated talk show has become massively popular since premiering in September 2019, with its 2024 season drawing 1.2 million viewers every day. But not everything has been roses and sunshine behind the scenes. In 2023, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” employees accused producers of creating a poor working environment in which they were underpaid and overworked. “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 staffer told Rolling Stone.

Advertisement

Some contended they had to take on side jobs to make ends meet, even though they worked full time. But they believed Clarkson wasn’t the problem. “Kelly is fantastic. She is a person who never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative,” one employee said. The 11 employees who spoke to the magazine emphasized she was generally great, and conjectured she was probably unaware of what went on behind her back. “I would be shocked if she knew,” the staffer continued.

Clarkson indeed claimed she was unaware of what was happening and how her staff felt. “To find out that anyone is feeling unheard and or disrespected on this show is unacceptable,” she told People. She promised changes would be made to ensure the situation improved. “There is always room to grow and ensure we are all being/becoming the best versions of ourselves in any business, especially when it comes to leadership,” she continued.

Advertisement

Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood are the two most successful artists to come out of “American Idol,” so perhaps it’s natural that they are often compared. But the comparisons are reportedly not just external. According to reports, Clarkson always felt bitter that Underwood sold more albums than her. “Kelly’s always been jealous that Carrie’s the bestselling idol to come out of Idol,” a source told Radar in 2016. The feeling was supposedly mutual.

Advertisement

Underwood, for her part, was salty about Clarkson’s TV career. “Carrie was jealous Kelly got a coaching gig on ‘The Voice’ that she thought should’ve been hers,” the insider added. But Clarkson denied she harbored any negative feelings toward her fellow performer. “There’s no beef between us,” she said on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” in 2023. However, Clarkson suggested she does not really have many positive feelings for her, either. “Well, there’s nothing between us. We don’t know each other,” she said.

So at the very least, Clarkson seems to be indifferent toward Underwood. “We don’t even know each other well enough to be pitted together,” she said. Behind the scenes, though, they are said to criticize each other. “The feud has only gotten worse, with both stars privately trashing each other to friends!” the Radar source asserted. Part of the problem seems to lie in how different they are. “They don’t really have much in common. They’ve just never really connected as friends,” another insider said.

Advertisement

Between 2023 and 2024, Kelly Clarkson underwent an incredible weight loss transformation, but she wasn’t all that forthcoming about her journey. In a January 2024 interview with People, she implied that she dropped the weight strictly through lifestyle changes, including amping up her walking, using infrared saunas, and eating a protein-heavy diet. “And 90% of the time I’m really good at it because a protein diet is good for me anyway. I’m a Texas girl, so I like meat — sorry, vegetarians in the world!” she said.

Advertisement

However, she later admitted that wasn’t the whole truth. In May 2024, Clarkson confirmed what everyone suspected about her weight loss: she used medication to help her shed the pounds. “My doctor chased me for like two years, and I was like, ‘No, I’m afraid of it,'” she said on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” during a conversation with Whoopi Goldberg. “I already have thyroid problems. I was afraid.” She didn’t disclose the specific medication she used but she assured viewers it wasn’t Ozempic.

After her initial reluctance, she finally agreed to go the medication route when her test results left her no choice. “My blood work got so bad,” she said. Clarkson had previously revealed she had been diagnosed with prediabetes, but still didn’t prioritize weight loss for a while. “And then I waited two years and then did, however, move into the — I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll do something about it,'” she said on her show (via Today).

Advertisement

Divorces are rarely pain-free, but they can get downright nasty when played out in the public eye. Kelly Clarkson’s divorce from Brandon Blackstock was as messy as they come. Even amid difficult proceedings, celebrities often manage to keep the ordeal out of the spotlight for the sake of their children. While Clarkson has been largely silent about her split, she has publicly shaded Blackstock, with whom she shares a daughter and a son, more than once.

Advertisement

In December 2024, she shared an album visualizer of “When Christmas Comes Around… Again” on YouTube that included a fireplace with four stockings. They read: “Mom,” “River,” “Remy,” and “Nope” (seen above). That sneaky detail didn’t go unnoticed. “If you’re going to do a giant FU to your ex, at least rent a REAL FIREPLACE if you don’t have one of your own, and put REAL STOCKINGS on the mantel! Other then [sic] that Merry Christmas!!” one commenter wrote. This wasn’t the only time she seemingly took a dig at Blackstock, though.

In May, she shared how she repeated the same relationship cycle she had seen played out between her parents, even though she promised herself she wouldn’t. During her Atlantic City concert, she told the crowd about how she wrote “Because of You” when she was 16 in response to the hurt she suffered at home from witnessing her parents’ toxic relationship. “It turns out that I chose the same f***ing path,” she said (via Us Weekly). 

Advertisement

Kelly Clarkson isn’t one of the most successful “Idols” by the grace of God alone. She has worked hard to get where she has — maybe too hard. At least Brandon Blackstock might think so. Blackstock was reportedly happy with their down-to-earth lifestyle in Nashville, but Clarkson’s decision to join “The Voice” in 2018 and to start “The Kelly Clarkson Show” the following year required the family to move to Los Angeles. “[Blackstock] prefers their quiet life in Nashville,” a source told Us Weekly in 2020.

Advertisement

Clarkson admitted that the move took a toll on them. “We ended up moving our whole family out here. It was kind of a big decision for us,” she told People in 2019. The country star contended that her husband encouraged her to launch her talk show. “He’s just really good at pointing out things that maybe will push me out of my comfort zone, which is why we’re really great partners in life as well,” she said. However, the Us Weekly insider had a different take. “When she went to Hollywood, it changed things,” the source added.

Another insider, on the other hand, later claimed that Blackstock’s struggles with his new life in California had little to do with his preference for a more laid-back lifestyle and appreciation for the South. “She was the high-income earner … Brandon was extremely jealous of it and made her know it,” a source told Us Weekly in 2021. 

Advertisement