The Queen of Pop-Rock ballads, Kelly Clarkson, has spent almost two decades in the limelight, and she has managed to stay out of scandals and mass cancelations. She is also among the few reality show winners who have had such a prominent role in the public eye.
Here is the secret to the American Idol Winner's longevity in Hollywood.
The Humble Beginnings To Kelly Clarkson's Success
Clarkson grew up in a broken family. Her parents divorced when she was six and her siblings were separated from her. But her faith led her through.
The choir at her church inspired Kelly to pursue singing. In an effort to obtain a music scholarship for college, Clarkson began vocal lessons.
Even after receiving full scholarships to the University of Texas, University of North Texas, and Berklee College of Music after high school, Clarkson turned them down so that she could experiment with music on her own.
But she had a hard time breaking into the industry and had to rely on part-time jobs to keep herself going.
She even dabbled in acting a bit, but her big break came with her winning American Idol in 2002. Her debut album became a commercial success with its lead single going viral internationally.
Since U Been Gone was released as her second album's lead single and became Clarkson's most successful single.
Despite achieving such success, she did not let fame go to her head. A user on Reddit commented "As cliché as it sounds, she’s known for being an extremely kind person and that can go a long way. She’s never appeared thirsty, or trend-chasing, and just seems like a genuinely cool and nice person."
How Kelly Clarkson Built Her Stellar Reputation
Based on stories posted online it is evident that Kelly Clarkson is well-liked by almost every fan who has ever met her. Kelly has mostly been described as warm and kind towards people, from fan meet and greets to casual bumping into on the street.
As a coach on The Voice, she was kind to the contestants and even fellow judges. There were no rumors of behind-the-scenes drama between her and any of her fellow judges.
Even her rivalry with Blake Shelton was always viewed as a fun back-and-forth between siblings and nothing more. Clarkson is friends with all her co-judges and their families even off camera.
Kelly Clarkson Took The High Road During Her Divorce
Kelly Clarkson went through a highly publicized divorce in 2020. She cited "irreconcilable differences" for the divorce which was filed after almost seven years of marriage to talent manager Brandon Blackstock.
An amicable divorce was apparently out of the question as her ex-husband's management company sued her for $5.4 million for the unpaid commission she owed to the management of The Kelly Clarkson Show and The Voice.
In addition to this multi-million dollar legal issue, Blackstock is asking for $436,000 a month for spousal support and child support even though he was not given primary custody of their two children.
Additionally, he demanded that Clarkson pay his $2 million in legal fees and almost all of these suits were granted in his favor by the courts.
The internet sided with Clarkson and expressed their disappointment about Blackstock's win in the maintenance and child support suit. However, they were promptly excited when Clarkson announced her upcoming divorce album.
Fans celebrated the return of the pop-rock queen all over social media with posts stating their excitement and anticipation to scream to it to express their own grief.
Fans also called Clarkson a saint for being very mature about her unfair divorce settlement and not being petty towards her children's father. Even though she was going through a troubled time, Kelly Clarkson's big heart and honesty made her fans love her even more.
The Kelly Clarkson Show Often Goes Viral For This Wholesome Reason
The fans' love for Kelly Clarkson was clearly visible as the show brought home the title for the highest debut for a new syndicated show since 2012. The show replaced both the Ellen Show and The Steve Harvey Show. Twitter was ecstatic about Clarkson's show replacing Ellen and went as far as to say "nature is healing."
Clips from her show often go viral because of their fun, energetic and honest nature. Kelly Clarkson is also rumored to be very professional behind the scenes and is considerate of her crew members.
But what really sets the show apart is how respectfully Kelly treats her guests. Clarkson does not intrude into her guests' life, merely gives them cues of which they could take or choose to ignore. She doesn't put up airs or false pretenses but is very down-to-earth with everyone she invites.
She has even won the Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host, Outstanding Lightning Direction, and Best Art Direction for The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Kelly is not afraid to go deep in her conversations either, she is very candid about her own life and even revealed on air that she lies to her kids while interviewing Mila Kunis, who replied "I love you so much" for her candor.
In an episode with Rob Lowe, she helped him discuss his sobriety journey without being intrusive or abrasive.
Kelly's covers of popular songs also make her show stand apart. Kelly is a vocal powerhouse, and she brings her own takes to the song.
Her cover of Billie Eilish's Happier Than Ever went viral on the internet with a lot of people describing Clarkson's version as a "heartbreak from divorce" as compared to Eilish's "heartbreak from teenage breakup."
Her fan base has only increased with her new talk show both by how she treats her guests and by the way she displays her talent. Fans think Kelly Clarkson is a prime example of how being nice to everyone and staying out of unnecessary drama can help anyone get ahead in life.
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