The Most Controversial Things Kelly Clarkson Has Ever Done

Whether she's belting out high notes or interviewing guests on her daytime talk show, Kelly Clarkson is unapologetic and powerful. She first became a household name when her larger-than-life vocal abilities won her the first ever "American Idol" title in 2002. Over the past two decades, her hit songs have included soulful ballads and catchy pop tunes. And now, her charming personality has led to a new endeavor as she hosts her own daytime talk show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show." Viewers around the country tune in to watch it every afternoon, and they love her no-nonsense attitude and witty sense of humor.

But not everything that comes out of Clarkson's mouth receives praise. Being in the spotlight for more than 20 years, there's bound to be a few kerfuffles. She's gotten herself in trouble by being a bit too honest about Hollywood, parenting, and weight loss, to name a few things. Even her show has come under fire as viewers have questioned why Clarkson would allow people with problematic tendencies to be a part of her program.

After Kelly Clarkson became the first winner of "American Idol", the country was waiting with bated breath for her to release her first album. As a part of her win, she was signed to RCA Records with legendary music mogul Clive Davis as executive producer on her first effort. But the company wanted Clarkson to have less of a hands-on approach to her sound. The problem really came to blows when Clarkson was working on her third album, "My December." She was adamant about writing her own songs, but the record company didn't enjoy Clarkson's soulful songwriting, saying that it would not produce the pop hits they expected from her.

During a 2023 appearance on "Watch What Happens Live," Clarkson told her side of the story. Apparently, tensions between her and the record label began all the way back to when she was recording her first album. One of her greatest hits, "Since U Been Gone," was the culprit. Clarkson insisted she was lied to. "I was told to write to the song," she said. "[The record company] flew me to Sweden, I get there and these two people, [Dr.] Luke and Max [Martin], were not told that I was writing to it, and just already had it written. And I look like a fool."

Kelly Clarkson made headlines for all the wrong reasons when she made a shocking confession about her parenting techniques. In 2018, Clarkson told Atlanta radio station 94.1 that she is comfortable with spanking her children. "I'm not above a spanking, which people aren't necessarily into," She said (via The Sun). "I don't mean hitting her hard. I just mean a spanking." She also said that the practice influenced her behavior as a child. "My parents spanked me, and I did fine in life, and I feel fine about it, and I do that as well," she explained, acknowledging that while people judge the practice in public, she finds "nothing wrong" with it

Fans were horrified on behalf of Clarkson's two kids: River Rose and Remy, born in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Many listeners were quick to condemn her opinion and call her out for such an unhealthy practice. "Yuckkkkk. This is messy. Love Kelly but.... No," one Reddit user wrote, calling it a "bad look." Another seemed to agree. "Aaaaaaannd, suddenly I like Kelly Clarkson a whole lot less," they said.

In May 2023, Rolling Stone published a bombshell expose about drama on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." Specifically, several employees alleged that the workplace was toxic. Blame fell on executive producer and showrunner Alex Duda, who one former employee referred to as "a monster." Duda was accused of being verbally and emotionally abusive to employees while also undermining and underpaying staff. The article detailed that while Clarkson herself was likely unaware of the tensions behind the scenes, several employees had gone to NBC with HR complaints only to be ignored.

Clarkson responded to the allegations on Instagram. "In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I've always led with my heart and what I believed to be right," she wrote. "I love my team at 'The Kelly Clarkson Show.' And to find out that anyone is feeling unheard or disrespected on the show is unacceptable. I have always been, and will continue to be, committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment at 'The Kelly Clarkson Show.'" As of this writing, Duda is still working for the program. When she spoke to Forbes in September 2024, she made no mention of the allegations. She did acknowledge that other shows have had issues with working conditions, but she said Clarkson's leadership is key to steering their ship in the right direction.

Kelly Clarkson's weight has fluctuated at different times throughout her career, and the ups and downs have gained a lot of attention. Many fans found her body positivity to be inspiring, while critics have ragged online about her weight gain. In 2024, Clarkson confirmed that she was taking a prescription drug that has helped her lose weight (and she looks totally unrecognizable after her transformation).

In September 2009, Clarkson was on the cover of Self magazine, and the publication admitted to having the cover photo retouched. Readers speculated that the image was altered to make the singer appear thinner, even though Self editor Lucy Danziger told Today that the tweaks were "only to make her look her personal best." Ironically, Clarkson spoke in the issue about being comfortable with her weight. "When people talk about my weight, I'm like, 'You seem to have a problem with it; I don't," she said. "I'm fine!' I've never felt uncomfortable on the red carpet or anything." This happened after she admitted on her blog that "they have definitely photo-shopped the crap out of me" on the cover of her album "All I Ever Wanted," which was released the same year.

TikTok is home to many different communities and fandoms — one being BookTok, where members make videos about literature, authors, and new book releases. In October 2024, Kelly Clarkson had Kierra Lewis, who calls herself the "Queen of BookTok," as a guest on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." But viewers were not happy to see the influencer on a show that airs nationwide. Lewis received backlash on TikTok when she became obsessed with the Seattle Kraken hockey team and began to blatantly sexualize the players, especially the team's center at the time, Alex Wennberg. As reported by the Dallas Observer, his wife, Felicia Weeren, even posted on Instagram that Lewis' behavior was "predatory and exploiting."

Members of Booktok denounced Lewis and her actions, prompting the Seattle Kraken to delete all BookTok content from its TikTok. So viewers were shocked when Lewis was featured during a segment of "The Kelly Clarkson Show" following the scandal. Fans called out the show for giving the problematic content creator a platform and not giving the spotlight to a better representative of the BookTok community. They also criticized Clarkson, who called herself a member of BookTok, and suggested she invite better influencers onto her show.