Kelly Clarkson Admits She Is “Definitely Screwing Up Her Children Somehow” In New Interview

In a new interview with People Magazine, Kelly Clarkson revealed she thinks she is “definitely screwing up her children somehow.”

The singer/talk show host is on the cover of the January 15th issue of People Magazine and in the interview, opened up about everything from her public divorce, career, her cross-country move, and her children.

For many years, Clarkson and her family called Nashville, Tennessee home. While she is not technically a country singer, her husband did have country artist clients as a talent manager. Living there made sense…until she booked The Voice in 2018.

She and her family – her then-husband, his two children from a previous relationship, and their two children together – packed up their Nashville home and move to Los Angeles.

About a year later, she began hosting The Kelly Clarkson Show simultaneously. Since its inception, the talk show has won a total of 15 Daytime Emmy Awards, with Clarkson taking home Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host in 2020, 2021, 2022, and the renamed category Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2023!

During her tenure as talk show host, Clarkson went through a bitter – and public – divorce beginning in June 2020, and finalized in 2022 after much back and forth.

Towards the end of Season Four of her talk show, it was announced she, and the show, would be relocating to New York City. She films in Studio 6A in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brian, and David letterman have all filmed.She has primary custody of her children, so they of course made the move with her. Their dad lives on his ranch in Montana and it is not public knowledge how often they go to see him. Despite having primary custody, Clarkson paid him a combined $200,000 a month in spousal and child support. She just recently made her final spousal support payment, and its not clear how much she will continue giving him for child support.RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Done Paying Spousal Support To Ex Brandon Blackstock

In her People interview, Clarkson opened up about how her children, River and Remington, are adjusting to the move to New York.

She started by saying, “I was very unhappy in L.A. and had been for several years. I needed a fresh start.”

It seems her kids are loving the move just as much as she is.

“[Remington] walked out of the school here and was like, ‘’This is the school for me. This is better than the last school. This is where I should be.’ And he’s 7! So it’s amazing that work is going well, but as a mom, that’s a win for your kid.”

But despite that win, she still thinks she is messing up her kids.

She said, “I like that they’re independent, but I’m adamant about my schedule, making sure I’m there as much as I can be. There’s no perfect parent; I’m definitely screwing up my children somehow! But I’m doing my best.”

One example she gave was when River got a new female dog and wanted to name her Charlie because of Charlie Brown.

Clarkson recalls telling River, “‘Okay. Well, some people might think that it’s a boy.’ And she was like, ‘What do I care what people think?’ I was like, ‘I’m sorry. Say it again and slower.’ I felt like I had succeeded as a parent.”

In any aspect of life, there is no tougher critic than yourself. Clarkson may think she is screwing up her kids. But, aren’t we all?!

Watch her cover story video with People below.