Kelly Clarkson recalls ‘beautiful’ moment with Dolly Parton 30 minutes after her divorce was finalized
Kelly Clarkson recalls ‘beautiful’ moment with Dolly Parton 30 minutes after her divorce was finalized
Shelby StivaleWed, September 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTC
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Dolly Parton and Kelly Clarkson in 2022Credit: John Salangsang/ShutterstockKey Points -
Kelly Clarkson reflected on her divorce from Brandon Blackstock on Las Culturistas.
The singer said she took the stage at the 2022 ACMs 30 minutes after the split was finalized.
The Voice coach shared a “beautiful” moment with Dolly Parton before the performance.
Kelly Clarkson will always remember this “beautiful” moment with the late Dolly Parton.
The American Idol winner appeared on Wednesday’s Las Culturistas podcast and recalled performing a version of “I Will Always Love You” to honor Parton at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2022. Clarkson said “ not many people knew” that her divorce from the late Brandon Blackstock was finalized 30 minutes before the singer took the stage.
“She, kind of, caught me,” Clarkson said of Parton. “We were having a conversation about something else, and I was like, ‘I’m sorry. It’s just kind of a wild moment for me.’”
It was a “crazy” meta experience for Clarkson because of what she was going through. She and Parton “had this moment backstage,” Clarkson said, not sharing many details. “She’s just one of those people you don’t have to know your whole life, but you can in one instance.”
Entertainment Weekly confirmed on Aug. 25 that Parton had died at age 80.
“Every time we ran into each other, she was so cool. It’s like you’re catching up with an old friend,” Clarkson continued. “That moment for me and what she said backstage to me was just a really beautiful thing, and really helpful.”
Clarkson told herself, “You cannot break,” ahead of that 2022 performance because it was “a tribute to someone.” The Voice coach added, “So much had just been lifted. It was just a really weird hour for me. But, anyway, she was very, very cool, and I’ll never forget that moment.”
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Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson in 2020Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
Clarkson was married to Blackstock for nearly seven years. They separated in 2020 and finalized their divorce following a lengthy and contentious legal battle. Clarkson was granted primary physical custody of their two kids, River and Remy. Blackstock died at age 48 in August 2025 following a years-long illness.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” the family shared in a statement to EW at the time. “Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
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Clarkson reflected on the marriage with her 2023 record, Chemistry. However, the singer said it wasn’t a divorce album.
“There’s so much loss with that, and I’d never experienced grief like that,” she told Zane Lowe on Apple Music of the split. “But I also think it’s very freeing to go, ‘We got to let each other go.’”
Listen to Clarkson’s full episode of Las Culturistas below.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
