Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire may not be blood relatives, but they became family when the American Idol winner married McEntire’s stepson, Brandon Blackstock. However, Clarkson's seven-year marriage ended in 2021, and McEntire’s marriage with her stepson’s father ended in 2015. Now, the former in-laws have both spoken about how they feel about their relationship after their respective Blackstock divorces.
When the news came out about Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s divorce, you may have wondered if things changed between the two Grammy Award winners. A couple of years ago, Reba McEntire weighed in on her former daughter-in-law’s divorce by saying she was supportive of both her stepson and Clarkson as they went forward with the proceedings. She did, however, say she was heartbroken by how things were being dealt with like the custody of their children and division of assets. While McEntire appears to not be taking sides, it makes us wonder how the television show host feels about her former mother-in-law.
How Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire Were Related
The family history of Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson started when the Reba actress married manager and guitarist Narvel Blackstock in 1989. She became a stepmother to three kids from Blackstock’s first marriage, including his son Brandon. Then, in 2013, Clarkson married Brandon Blackstock. Back in 2002, the then-20-year-old sang a duet with the "Fancy" singer at the American Idol Season 1 finale, who would have thought she’d be singing with her future mother-in-law?
Before Clarkson and Blackstock tied the knot, she and the “Queen of Country” singer had a working relationship. They performed together in 2007, singing the duet version of the talk show host's hit "Because of You." A year later, the vocal talents of these accomplished performers came together at the 2 Worlds 2 Voices Tour. But, the marriages that McEntire and Clarkson were in came to a close when the "I’m Not That Lonely Yet" singer divorced Narvel Blackstock in 2015 and The Voice coach divorced her husband in 2021.
What Kelly Clarkson Has Said About Their Relationship After The Divorces
As it’s been more than a year since Kelly Clarkson’s divorce from her ex-husband was finalized, and you may be wondering where she stands with her ex-mother-in-law Reba McEntire. While making a guest appearance on Watch What Happens with Andy Cohen to promote her upcoming album Chemistry, the "Since U Been Gone" singer revealed if her relationship with the country singer had been affected.
Not at all. We were friends before Brandon and I got together. [...] We text each other all the time. [We’re] both women of sound mind that know that life doesn't work out sometimes. Well she would know best, it was literally the same thing. So yeah, no hard feelings there. Just feelings!
It appears that these two powerhouse singers are still very close. As Clarkson and McEntire have been friends since 2002, the "Breakaway" singer still sings high praises for her long-time friend. These two award-winning performers may not be family members anymore, but it looks like they still hold a special place for each other in their hearts. Back in 2021 Reba talked to ET about this familial connection amid the divorces, saying:
Kelly and I do talk, we text and I love them both, and so I can’t play favorites because I’ve been a friend of Kelly for a long time
Their connection won't stop there , because as Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton leave The Voice, it turns out McEntire will be replacing the OG coach and joining Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani and John Legend in the red chairs for Season 24. As Clarkson continues to host her daytime talk show, you can catch McEntire on the 2023 TV schedule when The Voice premieres on NBC September 25th.
