EXCLUSIVE: Inside Kelly Clarkson's Scary Breakdown – And How Her Career and 'Personal Crisis' Have Left her 'Marooned' in a 'Perfect Storm of Pressure'
Kelly Clarkson is said to be finding the combined pressures of work and life way too much.
April 12 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Daytime TV's Kelly Clarkson's sudden two-week break from her floundering talk show has friends and fans fearing she's spiraling towards an emotional breakdown, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
"Kelly's carrying a lot on he shoulders both in her personal and professional life and people worry that she's collapsing under the weight of it all," our insider said. "She has career and personal pressures that are leaving her feeling shattered and like a boat marooned in a storm."
Clarkson finally returned March 20 from her mysterious hiatus in time for the show's landmark 1,000th episode, but confessed to the live show's crowd when she returned she's had “a lot of ups and downs personally" and that "I've lost, alone, a lot.“
Rising ratings gained by Drew Barrymore, right. have piled pressure on Clarkson.
A friend also exclusively told RadarOnline.com Clarkson, 42, is srill reeling from her bitter divorce from producer Brandon Blackstock, 48, as well as fresh fears over her falling TV ratings.
Her talk show drew an impressive 1.9 million viewers in its first season in 2019, but the numbers have slipped to just 1.2 million in the current sixth season.
Meanwhile, her talk show rival Drew Barrymore has forged ahead with 1.5 million viewers for her series.
"Kelly has been renewed for another season, but she's worried that if she doesn't stem the tide, she's going to get canceled," our source said.
Clarkson is said to be mourning her divorce from Brandon Blackstock.
In a sign of desperation, Clarkson moved her show from Los Angeles to New York City in an apparent bid to breathe new life into it, but her ratings have continued to slide.
"Now, Kelly is second-guessing herself, wondering if launching a talk show may have been a mistake all along," our source went on. "She already had a huge career as a singer, but she pretty much gave that up to concentrate on the show."
The insider added: "She hasn't done a concert in years, and who knows if she can ever get that part of her career back to where it once was."
Clarkson is battling burnout while juggling single parenthood.
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Meanwhile, sources said the challenges of raising her daughter, River, 10, and son, Remy, 8, as a single mom in a new city while still battling grief over her Blackstock break-up may have gotten to be too much.
"She feels like the situation is hopeless since she's saddled with Brandon in her life at least until the kids are grown," our insider said.
They added: "Kelly took time off to try to get her head straight, but the things that were causing her pain and anxiety haven't gone away. She's really stressed out and people close to her fear she could be heading for a serious breakdown."
