What You Didn't Know About The Rumored Toxicity On The Kelly Clarkson Show

"The Kelly Clarkson Show" began in September 2019. Since then, the show has prided itself on being multi-faceted in every right, from interviews to heartwarming surprises to Clarkson opening up about her divorce from her estranged ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. However, it hasn't escaped the rumors of its own internal toxicity.

Several employees have come forward claiming an unhealthy work environment, starting with them not being made aware that the show would be moving from Los Angeles to New York, and spanning to producers making the lives of other employees miserable. Clarkson has since responded to the claims, but her absence from the show for two weeks in February 2025 and rumors of her departure don't help the show's case.

After the "Since U Been Gone" singer's brief sabbatical, a source revealed to TMZ that, "Kelly herself is completely fine. She's been dealing with a personal matter that does not directly involve her." However, the rumor mill is still claiming that Clarkson is gearing up for her exit. An insider revealed to Page Six in April 2025 that the superstar wants to step down in order to spend time with her two kids. "The show is grueling. It's a whole lot of work, and I hear that Kelly would like to spend more time down South," the insider claimed. As the show's fate hangs in the balance, let's break down all of the toxic rumors that have emerged.

In May 2023, Variety published an article detailing that "The Kelly Clarkson Show" would switch from filming in Los Angeles to New York. The information was confirmed by an NBCUniversal spokesperson, and the article went on to detail that the incentive for the move was because of the state's Film Tax Credit. But allegedly, the employees had no idea.

A few days after the original article was posted, Rolling Stone published a bombshell in which several employees came forward and detailed an extremely toxic work environment, one factor of which was that they were unaware that the show was switching coasts. The article claimed that employees knew that the move was being discussed, but not that it had been confirmed until "two minutes before" the original Variety announcement went public. It's unclear if any employees resigned because of the surprise coastal jump, but it's safe to assume that anyone who wasn't willing to move across the country at the drop of a hat would be out of a job.

In the aforementioned Rolling Stone article, 11 anonymous employees, one who was still employed there at the time of writing and 10 who had resigned, detailed the drama they endured on "The Kelly Clarkson Show." Everything suggested that it was at the hands of producers, one of which was the executive producer, Alex Duda — but never Kelly Clarkson herself. "Former employees say the toxic behavior behind the scenes starts with Duda, who shields Clarkson from what staffers say they're enduring because of the climate Duda created."

The employees recounted countless moments of Duda verbally berating them to the point of mental and physical deterioration, but she wasn't the only one at fault. "There's a divide behind the scenes between staffers who are favored by executive and senior producers and those who aren't." On top of the verbal abuse, a few claimed to have not been paid enough, and even brought up a two-week Christmas hiatus during which they had not been paid.

Almost all of the employees who spoke to Rolling Stone brought up the internal misconduct to HR, but were only met with more disregard. "I don't know what HR does at that show, frankly," one employee said. "Nothing of consequence happened." Many suggest that NBC and the show's HR team are protecting the show and maintaining how it's currently run because of its success.

It's crucial to note, once again, that the employees who came forward for the Rolling Stone article had nothing but positive things to say about Kelly Clarkson. However, after the outpouring of backlash, it warranted a response from the show's host and NBC.

Rolling Stone updated the article after an NBCUniversal spokesperson gave a statement. "We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace complaints very seriously and to insinuate otherwise is untrue. When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as appropriate. 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' strives to build a safe, respectful and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity."

Clarkson, on the other hand, took to Instagram with her personal message. The captionless post consisted of three black images overlayed with text, reading, "In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I've always led with my heart and what I believed to be right ... to find out that anyone is feeling unheard and or disrespected on this show is unacceptable." She went on to detail how their transition from LA to New York was going to be handled with care, and met with new East Coast team members who strived for the same. She concluded by announcing that she, along with the higher-ups, would be partaking in leadership training.