Earlier this week, ex-Idol Kelly Clarkson decided to break away from her longtime publicist, Jeff Kwatinetz, going all Miss Independent for her impending arena tour and album release. Then just yesterday, she cancelled said tour, due to overblown expectations. According to the CEO of Live Nation, "Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew." And on top of those two snafus, Clarkson's public battle with Clive Davis over her album content, the fact that her first single is tanking, and her yo-yo weight fluctuations can only mean one thing ... it's time to call in the experts.

This week, we talked to two big publicists on both sides of the country; a New York old timer who handles A-list television, music, and film clients, and a major Los Angeles rep who has managed to diffuse even the most potentially damaging celebrity stunts. They both asked not to be named because, well, they both have clients linked to American Idol, and you know how it goes when you mess with that behemoth. Read on for their emergency remedies for the pop star, who both publicists admitted could use a lot of TLC (and Chinese herbs) at the moment.

Kelly Clarkson, you're in the PR/ER!

Take a few moments away from it all
New York Guy: "This is certainly not good, but it's also not the end of the world. this isn't Beyoncé or Madonna in a crisis, this is a rising star, so conceptually, she should rebound. Taking the summer off is a smart idea—to refocus, retool, and redefine her ability to sell records. If she has to make a statement, it should be about nothing, like how she loves the sun."
L.A. Guy: "It's about getting back to a comfort level. You know, she's a good girl, and she's a bright girl. I'm kind of proud of her for not letting herself get intimidated by all these record men. Now she needs to hold her mouth."

Get thee to a gymmery
NYC: "Absolutely she's gotta get into the gym. You gotta be sexy, you gotta be with it. You can't be 155 pounds at her size"
L.A.: "She needs a trainer and nutritionist. And she should go see Dr. Pan. He's a Chinese herbalist in L.A. and he's helped a lot of high profile, very powerful people lose weight. He's a publicity secret weapon!"

Decide who she really is
NYC: " She needs to slow down and hire some smart, older, more experienced people. It's a period of turmoil, no question, but she's young and she's talented. She'll come out of this alive."
L.A.: "It's a Catch 22, because she's got a record out we're not sure she believes in, and now she's not gonna promote it. But her career isn't about one summer or one tour, and she should know that."