NEWSKelly Clarkson 'Tried' to Keep Family Emergency 'Under Wraps' Amid Filming for Talk Show
Kelly Clarkson 'tried' to keep her family emergency 'under wraps,' a source said.
June 22 2025, Published 5:21 p.m. ET
Kelly Clarkson took a break from her talk show duties in March and April to support her sick ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
A source revealed that NBC offered her complete backing, encouraging her to take as much time as needed for the family emergency.
Kelly Clarkson took a break to support her sick ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
"Kelly tried to keep this all very under wraps out of respect for Brandon," the insider said. "Kelly is very valued by [NBC], and they have told her that whatever she needs, they will do. If that means more time off and more guest hosts to fill in, then they will make that happen with no questions asked."
The 43-year-old former Voice coach first stepped away from her show on March 3, with actor Simu Liu stepping in as an unexpected host.
Initially scheduled as a guest that day, Liu addressed the audience saying, "Kelly isn't able to make it today. We're sending her our very best. I did not know that I was doing this until about five minutes ago when I arrived to promote my new movie Last Breath."
He confidently added, "I'm here now, and look, I'm not one to back down from a challenge."
Simu Liu, Roy Wood Jr., Wanda Sykes, Josh Groban and Brooke Shields filled in as hosts.
Although Clarkson returned the day after Liu's debut, she was absent again on March 6 and did not appear for the rest of the week.
In her absence, several celebrities, including Roy Wood Jr., Wanda Sykes, Josh Groban and Brooke Shields, filled in as hosts.
After a total of 10 missed episodes, Clarkson returned in late March but missed another show in late April. Reports had indicated that her time off was due to a "family emergency," with a source telling NewsNation that Brandon, 48, had been "sick."
The insider added, "She took the kids to see him."
A source revealed to Life & Style that Clarkson was "so grateful" for the "support" she received from the network and her guest hosts during this difficult time.
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Kelly Clarkson appreciated the network and guest hosts’ support during this time.
"She's actually blown away by how genuinely caring everyone has been," the source continued. "It's made a really hard time a lot easier because she can focus on the most important thing, which is her family. For all their problems, Brandon is still her kids' dad, so this really impacted them."
The insider emphasized, "Kelly loves hosting her show, but her kids will always come first. So, as much as the network is being kind, they are being smart too. Keeping Kelly happy means keeping a very successful show on the air."
Clarkson and Blackstock, who share children River, 11, and Remy, 9, finalized their divorce in March 2022.
During the March 20 episode of her talk show, Kelly hinted at their split while celebrating the show's 1,000th episode, saying, "For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together. I've lost, alone, a lot. It's OK."
Despite focusing on her kids, Kelly Clarkson is open to dating again.
Despite focusing on raising her kids since their divorce and her 2023 move to New York, a source told Life & Style on June 2 that Clarkson is open to dating again.
"Kelly is not obsessing about finding a boyfriend. She has an extremely full plate, so it's not as though she's sitting around by herself moping about being single," the source remarked. "That being said, she does admit that she'd love to meet someone special. It's just a question of how to make it happen."
