Kelly Clarkson gets candid about how her kids cope with her divorce: 'We're going to work it out'

Morgan Hines, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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Kelly Clarkson is getting real about parenting after a divorce.

During Monday's episode of the "Angie Martinez IRL" podcast, the "Since U Been Gone" singer opened up to host Martinez about how she checks in with her children, River Rose Blackstock, 8, and Remington Alexander Blackstock, 6, on a nightly basis after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.

Communicating with her kids, Clarkson said, is important, as they process "huge feelings" and "huge emotions."

"I ask my kids every night when we're snuggling and I put them to bed, 'Are you happy? And ... if you're not, what could make you happier?' " Clarkson said.

Clarkson added she simply wants her kids to be honest and open with her – even if it's hard for her to hear. "I don't ever say, 'Oh God, don't tell me that,' but a lot of times it would be like, 'I'm just really sad. I wish Mommy and Daddy were in the same house,'" she said.

Singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson and her children River Rose, left, and Remington, right, pose atop Clarkson's new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a ceremony on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Los Angeles.
Singer and talk show host Kelly Clarkson and her children River Rose, left, and Remington, right, pose atop Clarkson's new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during a ceremony on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in Los Angeles.

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Clarkson continued: "I just sit there and I'm like, 'I get it. I'm from a divorced family as well. I get it. That sucks. But we're going to work it out. And you are so loved by both of us.' "

This isn't the first time Clarkson's opened up about her divorce. In June 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce with husband and manager Blackstock, after seven years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

And she's shared bits about the process over the years. In September 2020, she called her life a "little bit of a dumpster" during a Today show interview.

Clarkson and Backstock's divorce process was marred by legal encounters including a property battle, a labor dispute over Clarkson’s management fees under Blackstock’s firm, as well as a custody battler over their two children. Clarkson was awarded primary custody of the children in November 2020.

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Contributing: Bryan Alexander, Edward Segarra 

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelly Clarkson on parenthood after divorce from Brandon Blackstock