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Kelly Clarkson Says She’s Not Friends With Most of Her Exes Because It’s ‘Too Awkward’: ‘Hard Pass’
Some people like to remain friends with their exes, but that wasn’t in the cards for Kelly Clarkson. The American Idol alum hilariously revealed that she’d have to “hard pass” on staying close with most of the people she’s dated in the past.
Kelly, 41, debated the topic of being friends with exes with guest Common in a clip from The Kelly Clarkson Show shared on Tuesday, January 23. Common, 51, said he could “definitely” do it and revealed that he has been friends with “a lot” of exes in the past because the relationships ended on good terms.
“I mean, we go through stuff at the beginning of the breakup, but then once we come to our grounds it’s like, ‘We good people. We cool people,’” he said before asking Kelly if she was friends with any of her exes.
Without hesitation, Kelly whispered, “No,” earning laughs from the audience.
“I mean, here’s the thing. I’m not not friends … but I feel like, ‘cause I’m cool with … I only have a couple that I’m just like, ‘Hard pass.’ But a couple of them, you know, I don’t have many exes, but a couple of them are cool people. Nothing wrong with them. If we ran into each other, we’d be totally friendly. But that’s the difference,” she explained.
Common asked if Kelly would accept if one of her exes invited her to a party. She said that she would, “depending on the ex.”
“I just feel like it can get awkward. It depends on who ended it or who it is. It’s situational. But for mostly, no. No, no,” she concluded with a nervous laugh. “I feel like that’s awkward.”
One ex that Kelly likely won’t be partying with anytime soon is ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. She filed for divorce from the music manager after seven years of marriage in 2020, and their split was finalized in March 2022. The divorce resulted in Kelly getting primary custody of their kids, River Rose and Remington Alexander. However, she was ordered to pay Brandon, 47, a one-time payment of $1.3 million, as well as $45,600 per month in child support. She also just recently completed her $115,000 monthly spousal support payments.
Kelly has gotten candid about how Brandon made her feel “limited” and like her light “dimmed.”
“To dull yourself so you feel like somebody else can shine or so you feel like you’re not in the way or whatever the situation is… that’s not a healthy way to live,” she said during on Glennon Doyle’s “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast in June 2023.
Before Brandon, Kelly was linked to her American Idol runner-up Justin Guarini, The Graham Colton Band frontman Graham Colton, record producer David Hodges and Yellowcard singer Ryan Key.
