Kelly Clarkson facing ‘irony’ of her divorce — is it forcing her to quit ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ as there is a ‘price to pay?’

Back in March 2025, Kelly Clarkson — renowned for her bubbly, down-to-earth personality — abruptly left The Kelly Clarkson Show for two weeks. Though she returned soon at the time, it is becoming hard to ignore the possibility that this time the goodbye could be permanent, all because of the end of her seven-year marriage to husband Brandon Blackstock, to whom she attributes a lot of credit for aiding her career.

While she is yet to address her sudden and temporary absence back in March or why the whispers of her quitting the hit show are getting louder, she has indeed admitted that she didn’t handle the divorce well.

Now, an industry insider (who has reportedly worked directly with the singer) has revealed to Page Six that the entire ordeal has been “very painful” and thus had to step down momentarily in March to deal with it. But apparently, she has been “humbled by the whole situation” and discovered her life, her dreams, and her family take precedence over everything.

What is reportedly pushing her in this direction is facing the “irony” of her marriage and divorce from Blackstock, with whom she shared an “incredible love story,” as per her friend.

“The irony is that he’s had a very positive influence on her life; he made these phenomenal deals for her, and she wouldn’t be here without him. But it’s hard to be a manager and a husband. At the time, she greatly appreciated what he had done for her career.”

She shares daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remy, 8, with Blackstock. She engaged in a rather public and legally taxing divorce from him as the proceedings unfolded over two years. As per the court’s ruling, she was required to pay Blackstock a one-time sum of $1.3 million, along with $45,601 per month in child support. He also received $115,000 per month in spousal support, which concluded in January 2024.

But even post the divorce, the problems didn’t end. In November 2023, a California labor commissioner ruled that Blackstock, who was Clarkson’s manager in the past, violated state labor laws by unlawfully procuring deals on her behalf and was ordered to repay Clarkson over $2.6 million in commissions — a bitter end to a love story wherein she always described him as her safe spot and even revealed how “hard’ she fell for him.

As per the industry insider, Clarkson now “knows her limits” and is aware that she needs a “refresh.”

“She is a very feeling, sensitive person, as you see on the talk show, and that’s both in her personal and professional life,” the insider shared, adding that the singer knows that “there is a price to pay” for her stardom and “sometimes it sucks.”

“But I think she’s found her peace and is making sense of her world, and the events in her life.”

Clarkson’s contract with NBC and The Kelly Clarkson Show ends in 2026, i.e., the end of Season 7, post which she will allegedly step down from the show.