Kelly Clarkson has opened up about helping her daughter River navigate the “hard” years of junior high, a year after the death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, in an interview published on Tuesday 10 November.
The Grammy winner, 44, spoke to E! News on the red carpet at The Voice season 30 live show on 9 November, explaining that she takes a “pretty progressive” approach to parenting her two children, daughter River, 12, and son Remington, 10, whom she shared with Blackstock.
“You’re gonna make your own mistakes”
“I’m a pretty progressive parent, so I’m like, ‘No, no. You’re gonna make your own mistakes, and that’s OK. I’m not like an ‘I told you so,’ but I do implement advice,” Clarkson told E! News’ Will Marfuggi. “They’re growing up. One’s in junior high, and junior high sucks. It’s a hard age with friends, and arguing and stuff like that. I do offer advice, and I’ve had my daughter come back and be like, ‘So you were right.'”
Clarkson, who shot to fame on American Idol and followed it with hits including “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes”, has spoken about letting her children learn from their own missteps rather than lecturing them. “I’ve had them be like, ‘OK, so I didn’t do that, and I should have,'” she added.
Life after Blackstock
Blackstock, who was married to Clarkson from 2013 until their divorce was finalised in 2022, died on 7 August 2025 at age 48 following a private three-year battle with melanoma. A source said in August that Clarkson has concentrated on providing emotional security for River and Remington throughout the grieving process, and that she allows the children to sleep with her after their father’s death.
Clarkson’s talk show ended its run with a final broadcast on 1 September, with her children by her side, and she has said her children were the driving force behind the move. She has also extended her Las Vegas residency, adding four new shows scheduled for next August. For now, though, her focus is on the everyday work of parenting — and on a daughter finding her way through junior high.
