Kelly Clarkson's Journey: From A Troubled Childhood To Stardom

As her fans know, Kelly Clarkson didn’t have the easiest childhood. She has openly discussed her difficult relationship with her estranged father and the challenges she faced growing up with her siblings, sister Alyssa Clarkson and brother Jason Clarkson. The struggles stemming from her family dynamics have shaped her into the strong and resilient woman she is today.

Kelly explained how she connected with Alyssa and Jason after being kept apart for so many years due to their parents’ divorce. “We didn’t grow up together — at all,” The Kelly Clarkson Show star said during a SiriusXM interview in August 2019. “My sister grew up with my aunt and uncle in North Carolina, my brother grew up with my dad in California, and I grew up in Texas with my mom.” Despite their physical separation, the bond between the siblings remained intact.

Prior to auditioning for the first-ever season of American Idol, Kelly and her siblings reconnected. “We all met up and everything, and then they got really excited because Idol happened,” she shared, noting that she barely knew her brother or sister. “Which is really weird if you saw them — we’re exactly the same. It’s like we grew up together, it’s really weird.” This connection highlights the complexities of familial ties and the impact of shared experiences.

The Voice judge explained that although they knew each other existed, meeting up was challenging because they “were all very poor” and “spread out” across the country. It wasn’t until her brother, Jason, got married in 2001 that the family finally reunited. “The year before I actually auditioned for Idol, my brother got married in Alaska and we all met up there, and it was kind of then [that] we kept in contact,” she reminisced.

Over the years, Kelly has learned to embrace the dysfunction within her family. The entertainer, who has two beautiful kids, Remington and River, with estranged husband Brandon Blackstock, candidly spoke about how she has matured due to her tumultuous upbringing. “I’m kind of a comedian about it. I have a very good ‘brush it off your shoulder’ [attitude],” Kelly said during an interview with Scandinavian talk show Skavlan in November 2017. “I think you have to … for survival in this industry. Some crazy stuff gets said to you. Mean, weird [stuff] … People get really, really cruel, and it’s a lot to handle.”

After reuniting with her family, Kelly married Brandon in 2013. The couple was together for nearly seven years before she filed for divorce on June 4, citing “irreconcilable differences.” This separation may lead Kelly to rely on her family more than ever, showcasing the importance of familial support in times of personal turmoil.

Scroll through the gallery below to learn about Kelly’s siblings, Alyssa and Jason!