Things You Never Knew About Kelly Clarkson
- Kelly Clarkson is a record-breaking Grammy winner with two wins for Best Pop Vocal Album.
For fans of Kelly Clarkson, it might be hard to believe it's been over two decades since this pop-rock legend high-noted her way into our lives and into our hearts. From American Idol to America's sweetheart , we're so grateful to have this powerhouse vocalist and superstar and her chart-topping hits in our lives. From unforgettable songs like "Since U Been Gone" and "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" to her new, totally charming talk show , this multi-talented lady can't stop racking up the wins.
But how much do you really know about Clarkson? This Texas-born celeb just recently relocated to New York City, and is all about her two kids, River Rose, born in 2014, and Remington "Remy" Alexander, born in 2016. She shares them with her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock .
Clarkson is a proud mom and loves her family, and she's managed to build a dream career on top of it, with The Kelly Clarkson Show recently cementing her status as an iconic TV personality. She's always had an unabashed and no-holds-barred attitude, whether she's clapping back on social media or asking the hard-hitting questions on-air, and Clarkson seems to be coming more into her own every year.
So, we all know that Clarkson has the voice of an angel and a hilarious and candid personality — but there are plenty more little-known facts that will only make you love her even more. Ahead, some fun, obscure, and totally lovable facts you need to know about Kelly Clarkson.
A version of this story was originally published in April 2019.
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She's a Record-Breaking Grammy Winner
Before Clarkson, no one had ever won more than one Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. This singer won for both Breakaway and Stronger .
Her Talk Show Is a Success
Kelly Clarkson had an incredible first few years as the host of The Kelly Clarkson Show , seeing ratings that matched former reigning talk show queen Ellen DeGeneres by 2020 and landing the highest ratings for a new talk show in daytime in seven years. That's Clarkson power, y'all!
She's Officially Changed Her Name
Following her divorce from Brandon Blackstock, Clarkson was ready for a whole new chapter, and marked it by making a major change. In February 2022, reports surfaced that the American Idol winner was changing her legal name to Kelly Brianne .
On March 29, E! News reported the singer was granted her name change by a judge. "There being no objections, the petition for change of name is granted," court documents obtained by the outlet read. "The Decree is signed and filed. The Petitioner's name is changed from KELLY BRIANNE CLARKSON to KELLY BRIANNE." While the change is official, we're sure she'll still entertain the stage name Kelly Clarkson — how could you not?!
She's a Children's Book Author
Clarkson has written a series of children's books about a character inspired by her daughter, River Rose.
She's Not About She Wants to Get Married Again
Clarkson opened up to guest Gwyneth Paltrow in March 2021 when she came on her talk show as a fellow divorcée , but one who had gone on to marry again. For Clarkson, just nine months after separating from Brandon Blackstock, another marriage didn't necessarily seem in the cards.
"You've been married for two years," Clarkson said to Paltrow. "Coming from someone who's literally amidst a divorce, I can't even imagine doing it again."
She Turned Down 2 Full-Ride Scholarships
Before appearing on American Idol , Clarkson was offered full-ride scholarships by both the University of Texas at Austin and the Berklee College of Music. She also turned down two record deals prior to her Idol stint.
She Used to Work as a Cocktail Waitress
Here's one pop star we know is a good tipper — before she hit it big, Clarkson worked as a server at a few comedy clubs around Texas.
She Met Her Ex-Husband at the Super Bowl
Though they kind of knew of each other before, Clarkson and her ex officially met and hit it off at the Super Bowl in 2012, where Clarkson was performing.
"When I finally confessed that, 'I really dig you,' He was so shocked because he thought I hated him," the songstress said in an interview with People . "I hadn't let on that I liked him. Inside I was like, 'Ask me out!' but outside I was like, 'I love being single and coming home every night alone. It's awesome.'"
"I was so nervous because it wasn't that I didn't want to suck for the millions of people watching, I didn't want to suck because I was trying to impress a guy," she joked. "I wanted him to be like, 'Damn.' It had nothing to do with the Super Bowl!"
She Ruined 'Frozen' for Her Daughter
Clarkson voices one of the lead characters in the UglyDolls animated feature, so when her daughter River Rose watched the trailer, Clarkson accidentally ruined her love of all things Frozen .
"I'm like, 'Look, this is mummy's voice!' I show her the trailer and she was kinda not getting it," Clarkson hilariously recalled in an interview . "I was like, 'You know like how Elsa and Anna…' and all of a sudden I was like, 'Did I just ruin that for my daughter?' So now she knows that Elsa and Anna are like, real humans and not (just cartoons)."
Yikes! But also, LOL.
A Scene in 'Only Murders in the Building' Inspired Her
In an interview with the Today Show , Clarkson revealed that an emotional scene between Meryl Streep and Martin Short inspired her son, "Where Have You Been."
"I've rarely done something like this but I was watching Only Murders in the Building — it's Martin Short's face. He says to Meryl Streep's character in the show, 'Where have you been?'" Clarkson said.
"He's like, in awe, and I was like, 'Has there been a— has anyone written a song?'" she asked. "Because the song is happy. It's like you found something that you thought was almost basically a unicorn and did not exist."
She Was in 'Sabrina, the Teenage Witch'
Long before Kelly Clarkson's American Idol days, she spent some time working as an extra and even appeared for a brief moment on the TV show Sabrina, the Teenage Witch .
She Was Reba McEntire's Stepdaughter-in-Law
Clarkson was married to Reba McEntire's stepson, Brandon Blackstock. McEntire was married to Brandon's father, Narvel, for 26 years and divorce in 2015. Despite their divorces, Clarkson and McEntire still remain close. Clarkson has even referred to McEntire as the "coolest mother-in-law."
Clair Huxtable Was Her Childhood Idol
In an interview with Us Weekly , Clarkson said she wanted to be Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) from The Cosby Show when she was growing up. She also said she admired Dixie Carter from Designing Women .
She has 13 tattoos & counting
Clarkson has 13 tattoos — that we know about — including a cross on her wrist and a puzzle piece on her shoulder blade. The Japanese symbol on her neck means "blessed."
She wrote the One Direction song "Tell Me a Lie"
Clarkson initially wrote the song "Tell Me a Lie" for her 2011 album Stronger . However, she eventually decided to pass it on to the guys of One Direction because she said it didn't fit with her album.
