Kelly Clarkson sparked headlines in June of this year by announcing that she had filed for divorce from her estranged husband Brandon Blackstock. For the most part, the pop icon has remained silent on what led to the pair's separation after seven years of marriage. But now, Clarkson is pulling back the curtain. In a new interview with author Glennon Doyle, Clarkson said that there was one thing missing from her marriage that ultimately led to her decision: happiness. Read on for more of the singer's reflections on her divorce, and for celebrity duos who haven't gotten hitched, check out these Celebrity Couples You Didn't Realize Aren't Married.
In a Dec. 1 interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson discussed Doyle's book, Untamed, which tells the real-life story of Doyle's divorce from husband Craig Melton after falling in love with a woman, soccer player Abby Wambach. Through discussions of Doyle's book and the author's divorce, Clarkson opened up about her own.
"I'm like, 'This isn't happiness, for both of us,' you know? I feel both of us deserve better ... It's like, I don't want this for anyone in this scenario right now," Clarkson said of her marriage with Blackstock.
Clarkson also admitted that the divorce process is "horrible," and filled with "so many hard parts." She revealed that the most challenging aspect is navigating the divorce with the two kids she shares with Blackstock, River Rose and Remington Alexander. Doyle agreed, saying that she initially stayed in her marriage for her daughter before realizing that she wouldn't want that kind of marriage for her child.
"We're trained to believe that what we have to avoid at all costs is a broken family," Doyle said. "I didn't leave a bad marriage in spite of being a mother; I left because I am a good mother."
While Clarkson and Blackstock are parting ways, the two have known each other for nearly a decade and a half. Keep reading for a timeline of their relationship, and for more celebrity news, This American Idol Winner Almost Dropped Out.
1 | Clarkson and Blackstock met for the first time in 2006.
ShutterstockThis ex-celeb couple actually met years before they got together, according to E! News. At a 2006 rehearsal for the American Country Music Awards, Clarkson met Blackstock while rehearsing a song with Rascal Flatts, a band that Blackstock was managing at the time. And for more celebrity drama, discover The Most Dramatic Feuds in Hollywood History.
2 | But they didn't start dating until 2012.
ShutterstockIt wasn't until six years later that the pair reconnected through their mutual friendBlake Shelton, who Blackstock also manages. Clarkson said in a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest (via Entertainment Tonight) that she was "on the prowl" when Blackstock finally became single, as she had been interested in him since their first meeting in 2006. And for more celebrity content delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
3 | Clarkson and Blackstock got married in 2013.
ShutterstockJust 10 months after dating, the pair got engaged at the end of 2012. Clarkson tweeted about the engagement, calling it the "happiest night" of her life. Less than a year later, the pair got married in a Tennessee ceremony. And for more star nuptials, check out these Celebrity Couples Who Had Top-Secret Weddings.
4 | Clarkson filed for divorce in 2020.
ShutterstockAfter seven years and two children, Clarkson and Blackstock called it quits after quarantining together at their Montana ranch, with Clarkson filing for divorce in June, citing "irreconcilable differences." A source with Entertainment Tonight said that the couple had been "having problems for several months," but had hoped that quarantining in Montana would help them work things out in their marriage. Instead, "the change in environment was actually detrimental." And for more celeb couples who have called it quits this year, Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis Have Secretly Been Broken Up for Months.
