Kelly Clarkson: Her Tragic Real-Life Story
Celebrity - News
By GILLIAN WALTERS
The following story contains discussion of suicidal thoughts and body image issues.
Content Warning
Childhood heartbreak
Kelly Clarkson's hit song "Because of You" is full of heartbreaking lyrics about her father, Stephen Michael Clarkson. He failed to keep in touch after he split from Clarkson's mom when she was 6 years old, a devastating blow for any child, and Clarkson's repeated attempts to reach him were rejected.
the Effects of Divorce
Clarkson's mother, Jeanne, split from her second husband when the singer was 19 years old. This led Clarkson to question whether lasting love is possible, telling Mirror, "It affects relationships you get into when you are older [...] you're constantly thinking it's probably not going to work out in the end."
homelessness
Before Clarkson made it big, she was homeless. She told The Guardian, "I had to sleep in my car for three days. I just auditioned for this thing that said they'd pay you, and it happened to be American Idol. I didn't go into it thinking this would happen; I went into it thinking it might pay my electric bill."
Fat-shaming
It's no secret that Hollywood places an emphasis on looks, and Clarkson has been body-shamed throughout her career. "Even on American Idol I was really thin, but I was bigger than the other girls on the show, so people would say things to me," she told People, and she still faces criticism for her weight today.
Suicidal thoughts
"When I was really skinny, I wanted to kill myself," Clarkson told Attitude. "I was miserable, like inside and out, for four years of my life. But no one cared, because aesthetically you make sense." She clarified that she was depressed, which led her to become too thin, and not the other way around.