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Kelly Clarkson Says She Needs to ‘Work on Me’ Before Getting Into Another Relationship After Divorce
Kelly Clarkson sang it best: “Don’t need somebody when I got me.” While fans have been hoping for the American Idol alum to get back out there and date after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock, she said she has some work to do on herself first.
Kelly, 41, connected with Shannen Doherty over finding love after a divorce on her talk show on Wednesday, December 20. While Shannen, 52 — who filed for divorce from husband Kurt Iswarienko in April — said she felt ready to get back out there, the “Stronger” hitmaker said she was “enjoying me” too much to date again.
“I like dog love for the moment,” she joked, explaining that she would rather cuddle with her dogs in bed right now than with a man.
Getting more serious, Kelly added, “I think, too, there’s a lot to learn about yourself in a relationship and how you are in a relationship. I think I need a little more work on that end of it. … I think I need a little bit more work on me in a relationship and how to make sure I take care of myself at the same time as somebody else.”
The pop star concluded, “It’s not so much that I’m like, ‘ugh, men,’ it’s just like, maybe a little work on me. And also, I love me and I love spending time with me! It’s really great. It feels powerful.”
Kelly filed for divorce from Brandon, 47, in June 2020 after seven years of marriage. The divorce was finalized in March 2022, with Kelly getting primary custody of their kids, River Rose, 9, and Remington Alexander, 7. She was ordered to pay her ex a one-time payment of $1.3 million, plus $45,600 per month in child support and $115,000 per month in spousal support until January 2024.
After her divorce, Kelly got candid about feeling “limited” in her relationship with Brandon 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 her June appearance on Glennon Doyle’s “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast.
Fans have been shipping Kelly with musicians and actors like Brett Eldredge, Teddy Swims and Jason Momoa. However, she’s made it clear that she’s enjoying single life right now.
“Do I have a boyfriend? No! And not looking,” she said on an Instagram Live in September. “I have two kids, two dogs, three rabbits, a hamster, multiple jobs. You know, you think you’re going to spend the rest of your life with somebody, and you don’t. It’s hard to start over.”
