On an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show on Thursday October 2, singer Lionel Richie and the American Idol winner talked candidly about grief and how to overcome it. "I do think a lot of people deal with grief in such a different way, but I love that you say, 'Grief is the great teacher of what matters most,'" Kelly said, mentioning a line from Lionel's memoir, Truly. "And I think, no matter how you deal with grief, it is very different for everyone. But I do find that very, very true. How did you figure that out?"
"It's a real moment where you can't phone it in, but at the same time, we rehearse things. You can't rehearse grief," Lionel responded. "You can't rehearse the loss of your mother or your father or a friend. You can't rehearse that.
"And so, what I found is that when I get involved with the word uncontrollable grief, I let go," the 76-year-old added. "Believe it or not, I look forward to finding out who am I going to be really… that's the real me."
"If you hurt so badly, that means you love so deeply," he added, seemingly prompting Kelly to have an emotional moment.
"Hold on, I can save you, don't worry," the “Ballerina Girl” singer said, before leaping out of his seat to place his hand on Kelly’s forehead. The pair laughed and the TV host threw up her hands, saying, "I feel healed!"
On Monday, September 29, the "Since U Been Gone" singer returned to her talk show for its season premiere, the first time she is back on the air since the death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.
She and the late talent manager, who passed away aged 48 after a multi-year battle with melanoma, a form of skin cancer, were married from 2013 to 2022, and had two children together, daughter River, 11, and son Remy, nine.
Though she did not address the recent loss of her ex-husband and the grief and hardship that came with it, she did share: "We have seen a lot in the past six years, and sometimes the world can be very heavy, but I have always said my favorite part of doing this job, and I stand by it, is finding the light and shining it on people who are really trying to make a difference, and just trying to make the world a better place."
"Sounds cheesy but it's real, [it] makes you feel good," before emphasizing: "That's exactly what we're going to be doing this week and all season, y'all."
Kelly has never directly addressed her ex-husband’s passing, instead the family released a statement confirming his death which said 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."
She did, however, issue a statement to explain why she was postponing shows as part of her Las Vegas residency, saying "While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children's father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them."