Kelly Clarkson Shares Sadness Experienced By Her Children After Divorce

It is safe to say that Kelly Clarkson is one celebrity that keeps it real when it's down to discussing societal issues like family and parenthood. Her latest interview on Angie Martinez's IRL Podcast had the music star opening up on her approach when it comes to raising her kids. Clarkson pointed out her penchant for raising independent children.

Seemingly alluding that she got her values from her mother, the Catch My Breath crooner stated that she was raising "very independent children." The Kelly Clarkson Show anchor showed how proud she was of her two kids as she added, "They will be out the door as soon as they're able and capable. They're very independent."

Another aspect of parenting that is important to the Stronger singer is honesty. Clarkson wants her children, Remi and River, both under ten, to imbibe the culture of honesty. She also wants them to be open with their feelings. To do this, she makes sure to have honest conversations with them, and so far that seems to be yielding results. The 40-year-old star shared, "I literally ask my kids every night when we're snuggling, 'Are you happy?' And if you're not, what could make you happier?"

These honest questions could be quite difficult for Clarkson to process sometime because of the answers she gets from her children, but they must be asked. The star mom shared that the answers "kill" her and she often dreads them. During such conversations with the children, Clarkson gets to know that they are sad about how she and Brandon got separated.

Having been raised in a divorced family, Clarkson understands her kids' plight and she tries to show them that they are not alone. Due to her childhood experience, the Grammy-winning singer is able to validate their emotions. She also assures her children that they are loved by both parents.

The celebrity mom went on to share that communication plays a major role in her kind of situation. She noted that just because they are small children, doesn't mean their feelings are "small." She described her kids' feelings as "huge." Clarkson passed her message across stating, "I think communicating with them and not treating them -- not treating them like an adult, because they're not -- but not treating them like a child. They're not small feelings. Those are huge feelings, and those are huge emotions."

The TV star also revealed details about divorce including what prompted her to make the bold move to file for divorce. Clarkson recalled reading an excerpt from Glennon Doyle's Untamed and getting the inclination that she needed to get out of her marriage.

Clarkson recalled that she came across Doyle's words which asked her if she wanted her daughter to be in a marriage similar to hers. This was the wake-up call for the songstress who stated that that moment reconstructed her perspective. The tar noted that she was a better parent when she took care of herself.

Despite putting her strongest foot forward to move on after the divorce, difficult moments surface from time to time. Clarkson revealed that her children often asked her if she still loved their dad, and her reply is she did not know if the feelings actually leave.

This was the same sentiment Clarkson shared when TV star Khloe Kardashian joined her on her daytime show. The ladies had discussed moving on from an ex, and Clarkson stated that she did not think the feelings go away. Kardashian agreed while buttressing her point by stating that's eh still loves her ex, Lamar Odom and she wishes him the best.

Still speaking on the podcast, Clarkson revealed that she doubted she would ever put her whole divorce experience and process into an album. She relayed that she did not know if she ever wanted to talk about it. She noted that the past few years were rough on her, and it took "a minute and therapy" to leave that state of mind.

While Clarkson does not think she would delve into her divorce on a whole music project, she isn't shying away from exploring the heartbreak. The star revealed that her next record would touch on the feelings and the phases she went through during her divorce.

The star made it known that the phases she went through included rage. She noted that it was a lot because one tended to go through all "those emotions." Clarkson shared a vivid insight into her feeling amid her divorce. She recalled being "destroyed, like on the ground, crying." She described it as a loss, adding that it was "death."

The Piece By Piece crooner is gradually piecing it all together and moving ahead with her children. Speaking on future romances, Clarkson noted that she will fall in love again, but she never wanted to get married again. Referring to her childhood and growing up with stepparents, she noted, "I don't want another due in my house with my children." Clarkson added for good measure that she doe solve being single.

The pop singer cited irreconcilable differences back in June 2020 when she filed to end her marriage to Brandon. The duo was married for seven years. Prior to filing for divorce, Clarkson and Brandon, a talent manager spent several months together with their children in Montana amid the coronavirus pandemic.

All the months spent together in quarantine was enough indication that they need to go their separate ways. An inside told Us Weekly, that Brandso and Clarkson "clashed on so many levels." Being holed up amid quarantine further heightened their problems.

While Clarkson and Brandon battled their differences on one side, she also had to deal with her father-in-law, Narvel Blackstock, on the other. In 2007, Narvel's management company was in charge of managing Clarkson's career. In 2020, his company, Starstruck Management Group sued her over a $1.4 million debt.

The company also alleged that she did not pay the commission for her work on The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Voice. This birthed a legal battle and Clarkson countersued her former father-in-law stating that he violated the California labor code by "procuring, offering, promising, or attempting to procure employment or engagements” without a license.

The former couple ended it all in March 2022, and Clarkson was ordered to pay about $195,000 monthly. The breakdown showed that she is to pay $150,000 per month in spousal support, and an additional; $45,601 in child support.

The star mom was granted primary custody of their two children, while they share joint physical and legal custody. Brandon was also obliged to Facetime the children every day. Clarkson lives in Los Angeles while Brandon resides in Montana The implication is that he had to travel to California often to have the kids on the first and fifth weekends.