While Clarkson has been a household name since winning American Idol in 2002, it seems the name change is part of her vision for starting fresh with a new chapter in her life. But does that mean the name of her self-titled talk show is also changing—and why did she choose Brianne? Here’s everything we know about Kelly Clarkson’s name change.
Why is Kelly Clarkson changing her name?
In the legal documents she filed, (obtained by Us Weekly) Clarkson wrote that she had a “desire” to go by Kelly Brianne (the latter is Clarkson’s given middle name), as “my new name more fully reflects who I am.” She also told PEOPLE, “I just got divorced so they dropped—I had to drop my married last name so I just kept my middle name from my personal life. No, I’m still Kelly Clarkson. I don’t think I can change Clarkson at this point. I’m 2o years in.”
Will Kelly Clarkson go by Kelly Brianne or Kelly Brianne Clarkson?
While she’s filed to change her name legally, it’s seems (based on the comments she made above) that professionally, she’ll still be known as Kelly Clarkson. Further proof she’s still Ms. Clarkson? She hasn’t changed her name on social media.
Will Kelly Clarkson change the name of The Kelly Clarkson Show?
Likewise, a source told Entertainment Tonightthat the name of The Kelly Clarkson Show is “not changing.” NBC stations announced in May 2021 that Clarkson’s show would take over the time slot previously occupied by The Ellen DeGeneres Show when that long-running daytime TV staple ends its run in the spring of 2022. In addition to scoring that coveted timeslot, Clarkson’s daytime show, which started in fall 2019, has also been renewed through 2023.
Is Kelly Clarkson changing her name because of her divorce?
As Clarkson mentioned above, yes; the change comes amid her lengthy and contentious divorce from Blackstock, whom she married in 2013. She filed for divorce in June 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences.” The Voice coach was awarded primary physical custody of their two children, River and Remington, in November 2020. Although the divorce is ongoing, Clarkson was declared legally single in August 2021. Most recently, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE in January 2022, Blackstock won a 5.12 percent ownership share of their Montana ranch, which reportedly amounts to $908,800 of the property’s $17,750,000 estimated value. While Clarkson was initially awarded the ranch in the divorce, she reportedly lost a request to get Blackstock evicted in December 2021. She’s also had to pay her ex $200,000 in monthly child and spousal support, in addition to his legal fees, according to court documents obtained by The Blast. “You can ask anyone who’s gone through a divorce, I don’t think anyone expects it,” the Grammy winner told Hoda Kotb of the split during an interview on TODAY in September 2020. “You see yourself growing old with someone and then life has a different path. It’s so hard on everyone, and you know me, I’m really open. I try to be open and share … It’s just a tricky thing to navigate.” She later opened up about her past relationships on the Love Someone With Delilah podcast in December 2021, revealing she has no regrets. “I regret nothing,” she said. “Even unfortunate things that happen in your life or hard things, ’cause we can do hard things.” Next, Everything We Know About Wendy Williams’ Battle With Graves’ Disease Amid the End of Her Daytime TV Talk Show
