Kelly Clarkson hasn’t made any moves toward finding a new romantic relationship recently — in fact, she says she’s downright “unwilling” to date right now.
In a Wednesday (Sept. 30) installment of the Las Culturistas podcast, Clarkson said that the reason she’s not open to dating anybody is a very simple one: All her focus is going toward her kids.
Kelly Clarkson Explains Why She’s Not Dating Following Her Ex-Husband’s Death
She also thinks her two children, 12-year-old River and 10-year-old Remington, aren’t ready for her to bring a new love interest into their family dynamic.
“My kids right now, I think…there’s a lot behind that, but yeah, I think that would rock their boat a little bit,” the singer acknowledges.
The family has been through a very tough few years. The two kids’ father, Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, died in 2025 after a private cancer battle. He was just 48 years old.
Clarkson took significant time away from her talk show in order to be present with her children during their father’s illness. She also postponed a stretch of her Las Vegas residency, which was due to take place that fall, to focus on family.
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More recently, Clarkson ended The Kelly Clarkson Show after seven seasons, in large part to prioritize spending more time with her kids. She hasn’t stepped away from TV entirely, though: She’s a coach on this season of The Voice.
Why Does Kelley Clarkson Want to Stay Single Right Now?
Elsewhere in her Las Culturistas appearance, Clarkson said, “I love my life right now,” and stressed that that wasn’t a “bulls–t answer” — just a true one.
“It just got to where I am not exhausted at every point of it,” she continued. “..I feel like if you’re gonna be in a relationship, you have to be willing to give some of your time up, and I am unwilling.”
She says she and her children have settled into a routine — both as a family and as residents of New York City. The singer moved there from Los Angeles in 2023.
“We’re having fun. We’re cooking. We’re playing games. I’m there at pickup, or I’m there dropping off,” Clarkson continues.
“It’s a beautiful city, I will say, to raise kids in,” she says. “Because I wasn’t really exposed to different cultures. I wasn’t really exposed to anything like that. Like, I love where I grew up. Obviously, I turned out alright, but I just meant it’s a cool thing for them to just have every color of the rainbow, every color of personality, everything. You know what I’m saying? It’s awesome.”
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
