You might think 2020 has been bad, but at least the pandemic hasn’t kept you from recording your wonderful cover songs live with your band. At least you don’t have to fend off an absurdly theatrical competitor in the celebrity talk-show space. And at least, hopefully, you haven’t gone through a high-profile divorce. All those things have happened to Kelly Clarkson this year, along with, you know, everything else. “Let’s get this out of the way: 2020 has been a dumpster fire,†she said on September 21 while in studio for The Kelly Clarkson Show’s first episode of season two. “Yep, just all the ‘word I can’t say on this show,’ just piled together, and it’s on fire.†Clarkson continued, “As you probably know, 2020 has also brought a lot of change to my personal life. Definitely didn’t see anything coming that came.â€
And in case you thought she might’ve meant the pandemic or The Drew Barrymore Show, Clarkson went on to address her June divorce from Brandon Blackstock, her husband of nearly seven years. “What I’m dealing with is hard because it involves more than just my heart, it involves a lot of little hearts,†she said. “You know, we have four kids, and divorce is never easy, and we’re both from divorced families. So you know, we know the best thing here is to protect our children and their little hearts.†The couple shares 6-year-old River and 4-year-old Remington, along with Blackstock’s two children from a previous marriage. Clarkson continued, “I’m usually very open, and I usually talk about everything, but in this case I will talk a little bit here and there about how it affects me personally, but probably won’t go too far into it because, you know, I’m a mama bear, and my kids come first.â€
In case you were worried, Clarkson assured viewers that she’s doing okay. And if you won’t take her word for it, just watch her fiery Kellyoke cover of Lizzo’s “Good As Hell†from the September 22 episode. She also said she’s been listening to and writing music in the wake of her divorce. “When I got upset when I was a kid, I had a problem saying how I felt, and my mom told me to start writing,†she said. “And that’s actually how I get my feelings out. So I probably won’t speak about it too much, but you definitely will hear it musically, probably. That’s how I became a songwriter.†And we can’t wait to hear it, from the queen of breakup bops herself.