Kelly Clarkson Reveals the Real Reason She’s Single, Calls Dating a ‘Dumpster Fire’

Kelly Clarkson is currently Miss Independent — and she doesn’t see that changing anytime soon!

The single singer-songwriter, 43, discussed her dating life with the crowd during one of her Studio Sessions shows as part of her residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“Dating can be very difficult, which is why I don’t,” the three-time Grammy Award winner laughed per a TikTok video posted by a fan on Sunday, July 20.

“I’m like it’s hard anyway; add a spotlight and it’s like a… dumpster fire,” she quipped.

Clarkson tied the knot with talent manager Brandon Blackstock in October 2013. After nearly seven years of marriage, she filed for divorce in June 2020. The couple, who share two children — River Rose, 11, and Remington Alexander, 9 — finalized their divorce in March 2022.

In May, the talk show host appeared on Today with Jenna & Friends and explained it’s challenging to make time for dating as a single mom.

“I will say I am not not looking and I’m not looking, she admitted. “I’m very busy. You get this as a mom. I’ve got to focus right now, so it’s like there’s a lot of work plus my kids’ schedule, I feel like it’s busier than mine.”

“I’m running from my show to baseball practice, and I’m trying to be just there. It’s a lot,” she continued. “My mom will tell me, ‘Look, I was a single mom. I didn’t get to make everything. They’re gonna be fine. You turned out fine.'”

Clarkson described her and her two kiddos as a “cute little unit.”

The original American Idol champion also discussed her love life with radio station KOST 103.5 in November 2024, revealing her children’s stance on the matter.

“My kids, both of them, they constantly bring it up, ‘Please, we don’t want you to be with anybody else,'” she revealed. “They’re young, it’s hard to picture their mom with someone else other than their dad.”

“I have expressed like, ‘Hey, I love you guys, but Mommy needs lovings too,'” she remarked.

In early July, Clarkson canceled her first two shows of her residency due to vocal strain. At the time, a source told Star that friends believe she’s “stretching herself too thin and trying to do it all, plus be a parent.”

The source shared that she’s still “extremely emotional and affected” by her divorce.