Kelly Clarkson Started Therapy Amid Marriage ‘Difficulties’

Kelly Clarkson may have healed through singing about her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock — but that “didn’t save” her any money on therapy bills.

“I’ve been regularly doing [therapy]. I do love it. I actually started when I was married, you know, obviously having difficulties,” the “Since You’ve Been Gone” singer, 41, told ET Canada in an interview published on Monday, June 19. “I’d never really done regular therapy or anything like that.”

While music is typically “therapeutic” for Clarkson — who also has a “really great group of friends” to lean on and “bounce things off” when times are tough —  seeing a therapist was a “really good turning point” following her 2020 split from the 46-year-old talent manager.

“They give you so many tools for how to navigate certain situations,” she told the outlet. “Also to have somebody outside your circle that doesn’t know anything but just knows what’s happening in the now. And that was really helpful.”

The Kelly Clarkson Show host married Blackstock in 2013 and the twosome share daughter River Rose, 8, and son Remington, 7. Us Weekly confirmed in June 2020 that Clarkson filed for divorce after seven years of marriage. Following their separation, the pair engaged in messy legal battle fighting over marital assets, including Clarkson’s Montana residence — where Blackstock resided — and custody of their two children.

The exes finalized their divorce in March 2022 when the former American Idol winner agreed to pay the Texas native a one-time sum of $1.3 million and $115,00 per month in spousal support until January 2024. She also agreed to pay him $45,601 a month in child support until their children are no longer minors. Clarkson, for her part, was awarded primary custody of their kids, with Blackstock receiving monthly visitations.

Throughout her legal drama, Clarkson turned to music. She released her 10th studio album, Chemistry, earlier this month, which detailed her romance with Blackstock and their messy split. The “Because of You” artist told ET on Monday that she tends to write her best songs when she’s “going through something,” but didn’t want her latest record to only focus on one emotion.

“Anger is there. But you know, there’s anger, there’s sadness, there’s happiness, there’s hope, like there’s all of it on there. So that was really important to me, too, to make sure all of that was in there,” she shared, noting that the abum title stems from how “incredible” chemistry can be with someone — even when it’s “detrimental” to a relationship.

“It’s still an incredible thing to connect with someone on a level that’s like scientific, like you have no you have no control over it. It’s just chemical, right? … And so it’s just about looking at a relationship as like not all bad,” she said. “I think we tend to go, ‘Okay, it didn’t work out, so it’s all s—t.’ But it’s not all just bad, you know? So, you know, I wanted to point out that, like, there are good things, too. And don’t forget those things.”