Kelly Clarkson shocked fans when she canceled her Las Vegas residency opening night just 90 minutes before showtime on July 4. The singer and TV host was supposed to kick off her Studio Sessions residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace but had to pull out due to vocal issues. She told fans she could not risk causing “serious damage” to her voice.
According to Page Six, close to the situation reveals that Clarkson faces challenges beyond just vocal problems. The 43-year-old singer has been dealing with personal struggles that are affecting her health. A Vegas insider explained that Clarkson “belts out every single note” and is “an incredibly powerful singer, but it takes its toll on her vocal cords and she’s come incredibly close to needing surgery before.”
The insider added that Clarkson “cannot risk damaging her cords further” because “she’s on thin ice.” This vocal strain comes at a time when the singer is already managing other difficulties in her personal life. The source noted that her voice problems are connected to deeper issues she is facing.
Clarkson’s ongoing personal struggles affecting her career
This is not the first time Clarkson has had to step back from her professional duties this year. In March, she missed 10 episodes of her NBC talk show, with guest hosts filling her spot. She was absent again the following month when Andy Cohen stepped in to host. Both times, she cited personal matters as her reason for taking time off.
A second source revealed more details about what Clarkson is going through behind the scenes. “Kelly’s personal life is so insanely complicated,” the insider said. “Kelly is fighting some serious hidden battles that very few people are privy to. It’s a source of emotional and therefore physical distress for her.”
Kelly Clarkson is "devastated" after postponing the opening weekend of her Las Vegas residency due to health issues.
— Denis – The COVID info guy – (@BigBadDenis) July 7, 2025
She revealed the grueling rehearsals had taken "a toll" on her voice and added, "I need to protect myself from doing serious damage."https://t.co/fM5HinZf2T pic.twitter.com/wSaJKB0xCX
Much of Clarkson’s stress stems from her difficult divorce from Brandon Blackstock, the father of her two children, daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remy, 8. The red flags that led to their split have been revealing about what went wrong in their marriage. The divorce process began in 2020 after seven years of marriage and included a long legal battle. Clarkson has been open about how hard the split was for her, telling Apple Music in 2023, “Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle [the divorce] well.”
The singer managed to reschedule her Vegas residency for this Friday after canceling the first weekend. In an emotional note to fans, she said she wanted to create the “most intimate and extraordinary experience” for her “incredible fans.” However, she admitted that “the prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice.” She told fans she was “devastated to have to postpone” but assured them the show would be worth the wait.
Clarkson’s personal issues may force bigger changes in her career. Given Kelly Clarkson’s substantial net worth, she has the financial freedom to make these difficult decisions about her professional future. Her talk show contract expires after Season 7 in 2026, and she may choose not to renew it. In May, Clarkson expressed frustration about how the NBC show had limited her ability to tour, saying, “We haven’t done a show in a while, y’all, ’cause I have a talk show. It’s like a whole other job.”
Despite these challenges, sources say Clarkson is working to move forward. A source said last month, “She is a compassionate and caring person, and what has happened [recently] has helped her to move beyond the divorce.” The singer appears to be taking steps to protect both her voice and her overall well-being as she navigates these difficult times.
