Kelly Clarkson has opened up about providing her children with therapy and mental health support amid her divorce from Brandon Blackstock, her husband of nearly seven years.
The Voice coach discussed how her family is handling the divorce, and why she has been so open about the separation, during an appearance on Extra TV alongside Gwen Stefani on Monday.
According to the Stronger singer, who shares two children, River, six, and Remington, four, with Blackstock and is stepmother to Blackstock's children from a previous marriage, Savannah, 18, and Seth, 13, her focus has been on the “other little hearts” that are involved.
"It’s just one day when you’re like: 'Wow, this has forever changed and it’s not just my heart has changed, there's other little hearts, too,'" she said.
To protect her children while being so open about the divorce, the 38-year-old said she and her estranged husband have enlisted therapists.
“We have a lot of help as far as therapists or child psychologists because we want to do it right,” she said. “I definitely want to do it right. Everyone's sad and it’s okay to be sad."
As for why she has been so candid, the singer said she has a strong support system and hopes that she can help other people going through similar situations.
"I have a great family and friends that are there for me… It’s a very hard thing to navigate, to be able to be honest and share your story, so maybe you can help someone else, but at the same time protecting these little kids you adore,” she said.
Clarkson’s admission prompted praise from Stefani, who told the singer she is “doing a really great job.”
This is not the first time the American Idol alum has opened up about prioritising her children while publicly discussing her divorce.
This week, Clarkson told Entertainment Tonight that it’s been hard to navigate being an open book and a “mama bear”.
There's a lot of hearts involved here," she said. "And you know, that's the thing that's been kind of hard to navigate is I am an open book, but at some point I'm a mama bear more than I am a person in the public eye.
“So, I care one hundred per cent more about my children than I do anything else on this planet. So, that's been the hard thing of, like, yes, I'm willing to share my experience and yes, it is the worst. I mean, the past few months have been horribly sad. But at the same time, I have to think: 'Hmmm, like, what I say has a domino effect in other people's lives.'"
