Comfortable in her skin! Through the years, Kelly Clarkson has been outspoken about body empowerment — and has used her experience to inspire others.
The “Miss Independent” singer previously spoke out about being publicly criticized for her weight when she skyrocketed to fame during season 1 of the hit competition show. “I was the biggest girl in the [American Idol cast] too,” Clarkson said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2015. “And I wasn’t big, but people would call me big … I’ve kind of always gotten that.”
Clarkson added, “I think what hurts my feelings for people is that I’ll have a meet and greet after the show, and a girl who’s bigger than me will be in the meet and greet and be like, ‘Wow, if they think you’re big, I must be so fat to them.’ And it’s like, you’re just who you are. We are who we are — whatever size.”
After getting married to Brandon Blackstock in 2013, the Texas native welcomed daughter River in 2014 and son Remington in 2016. One year later, Clarkson became a judge on The Voice. The “Stronger” singer told Glamour U.K. in June 2020 that she was at her “heaviest point” when she joined the NBC series.
The Grammy winner showed off a slimmer figure in 2018, which she said came from changing her diet to “non-GMO, no pesticides, eating really organic.” Later that year, Clarkson told Redbook that she doesn’t equate looking skinny with being healthy.
“It’s when I’m fat that I’m happy. People think, ‘Oh, there’s something wrong with her. She’s putting on weight,’” she said at the time. “I’m like, ‘Oh, no! I’m sorry, but that represents happiness in my emotional world.’ For me, when I’m skinny is usually when I’m not doing well.”
The Kelly Clarkson Show host later offered advice about accepting your body as it is. “There are always things that happen that come up that bum you out, but at the same time, you’ve got to recognize it’s made you who you are,” Clarkson told Glamour U.K. in June 2020. “I’m a very strong individual. I’m very confident, and I’ve been forced to find that in myself.”
Scroll down to see Kelly Clarkson’s body evolution through the years.