Kelly Clarkson has come clean about her thoughts on marriage following her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.
In an interview with People, the 41-year-old singer confessed she didn’t want to tie the knot with Blackstock. Before he proposed to her, Clarkson wasn’t planning for their future to involve marriage. Now after their split, the talk show host admitted she’ll never say “I do” again.
Clarkson detailed her reasons why she wasn’t interested in marriage, telling the outlet: “I never wanted to get married the first time. [Blackstock] had children, a religious background, and it was important, I think, for him.
“But I’ve never been that person. Because I’ve been through a couple divorces in my family, I just don’t like to put any weight on it,” the former American Idol winner added. “It can happen; it doesn’t have to happen. For my kids, I definitely would never even think about it until they’re out of my house.”
The “Stronger” singer met her 47-year-old ex-husband back in 2006, four years after her victory on the hit singing competition. However, it wasn’t until 2012 when the two connected romantically. That same year, despite her now known apprehensions, Clarkson and Blackstock got engaged.
At the time, Clarkson told People: “Out of nowhere I just said, ‘Thanks for being an awesome guy.’ I’ve never been loved properly by a man, and I was just like, ‘I thank you so much for that.’”
The next year, the pair hosted their nuptials. Following seven years of marriage, Clarkson filed for divorce in June 2020. It took two years for the former couple to settle their divorce, amid a custody and legal battle over their children and their Montana ranch.
Before her relationship with Blackstock, Clarkson dated Graham Colton, David Hodges, and Ryan Key.
“I’ve always known that love is hard. For me, love has always come with this elephant in the room of sadness,” she said to People on 3 January. “I’ve known love is not forever. I don’t mean that to sound depressing, but I think we put a lot of pressure on that word.”
“Sometimes love is looking at someone and going, ‘This is not good for you. This is not good for me.’ That’s a hard thing to face. But when you do, I think you grow,” she added.
As of now, Clarkson revealed that doesn’t feel the need to start a relationship with someone else. If the right guy came along, she explained that she wouldn’t shy away from the experience - but it has to be a specific kind of man. “I told a friend [that a potential partner] would have to be an individual that brings their own life to the table without needing anything from me,” she said.
