Getty Kelly Clarkson attends Audacy's 10th Annual We Can Survive.
During the January 23 episode of “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” the “American Idol” star revealed her thoughts on her exes.
Kelly Clarkson isn’t usually one to beat around the bush. The pop singer and talk show host is often noted for telling it like it is. So when Common stopped by her show, she took the opportunity to play a little game.
In a segment titled “Finding Common Ground,” Clarkson and Common engaged in a friendly debate regarding controversial topics from previous episodes of her show. Clarkson said that she was curious if they could come to a consensus on any of the topics. Scouring back across the show’s first five seasons, Clarkson first selected a somewhat touchy subject, “Can you be friends with an ex?”
Common is ‘Cool People’ With His Exes
Without skipping a beat, Common quickly answered Clarkson’s question. “Yes, I can definitely be friends with an ex,” the Chicago native singer said.
The matter-of-fact answer took Clarkson by surprise. As Common attempted to clarify his answer, Clarkson asked a follow-up question. “Like, how long was the relationship?,” she asked as the audience laughed.
Common’s explanation was a rather simple one. “I mean, I’ve been friends with a lot of exes that I’ve had, and they’ve been long relationships, ‘cause most of them end pretty good,” he said. “I mean, we go through stuff at the beginning of the breakup, but then once we come to our grounds, it’s like, we’re both good people. We’re cool people.”
Common then asked the former ‘The Voice” coach about her own past relationships. “Are you friends with any of your exes?”
In a comical moment, Clarkson simply whispered, “No,” as the audience broke out in laughter and applauded. As Common admitted that he had “No judgement,” Clarkson attempted to explain. “I mean, here’s the thing. I’m not not friends. I only have a couple that I’m like, ‘Hard pass.’ 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.”
When asked if she’d accept a party invitation from an ex, Clarkson struggled to answer. “Yeah, depending on the ex,” said Clarkson. “I would be like, ‘OK, cool. I’ll show up.’ I just feel like it can get awkward for — it depends on who ended it, or who it is. It’s situational, but mostly no, no. I feel like that’s awkward. No common ground there!”
Kelly Clarkson’s Tumultuous Relationship With Her Ex
In June 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. The couple reached an agreement in 2022 that saw Clarkson send $115,000 a month in spousal support. But at the start of the year, Clarkson’s required payments came to an end.
According to US Weekly, Clarkson is relieved over the end of the agreement. “Kelly is feeling relieved that her spousal support to Brandon has come to an end,” a source told US Weekly. “She’s been ready for this for a while now and is so happy her payments to Brandon will be complete. It’s so nice knowing that this chapter of her life can close with the new year.”
As reported by the New York Post on January 2, Clarkson revealed Blackstock’s alleged verbal attacks. While testifying in court, she claimed that Blackstock told her that NBC “had to have someone that was black. They had to have a diverse thing,” she said, referring to her time on “The Voice.”
Clarkson then told her lawyers that Blackstock even criticized her physical appearance. When asked how she could recall the criticisms, Clarkson responded by saying “Well, a wife doesn’t forget a time she gets told she’s not a sex symbol, so that stays.”