Kelly Clarkson ‘Never Wanted to Get Married’ and Is Enjoying Single Life: ‘Dating Sucks’ (Exclusive)

Kelly Clarkson is in no rush to get back into a relationship.

As a single mom to daughter River Rose, 9, and son Remington Alexander, 7 (whom she shares with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, 47), Clarkson, 41, says she already has more than enough on her plate after moving from LA to New York City for season 5 of her hit talk show.

“I love my children. I have my family and friends, I have my jobs,” she allows. “All those nice things work really well.”

Kelly Clarkson on Dealing with Depression, ‘Extremely Difficult’ Divorce: ‘I’m Taking My Power Back’ (Exclusive)

Kelly Clarkson for PEOPLE.

Weiss Eubanks

Clarkson wrote songs on her latest album, Chemistry, which just earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, during the breakup of her nearly seven-year marriage to Blackstock, her former manager. (They divorced in 2020 and finalized their divorce in 2022 after lengthy disputes over custody and spousal support.)

“I’ve always known that love is hard,” she explains. “For me, love has always come with this elephant in the room of sadness. I knew that love is not forever. I don’t want to sound depressing, but I think we put a lot of pressure on that word. Sometimes love is looking at someone and saying, ‘This is not good for you. This is not good for me.’ That’s hard to face. But when you do, I think you grow.”

Kelly Clarkson explains how she ‘dropped the pounds’: ‘I listened to my doctor’ (Exclusive)

Kelly Clarkson covers PEOPLE.

Although Clarkson is open to the idea of ​​dating, it doesn’t look like she’ll ever get married again.

“No. I never wanted to get married the first time,” she says. “[Brandon] had children, a religious background, and that was important, I think, to him. But I was never that person. Having been through several divorces in my family, I just don’t like to put any weight on it. It can happen; it doesn’t have to happen. As for my kids, I definitely wouldn’t even think about it until they were out of my house.”

Kelly Clarkson says she’s still not ready for romance after divorce: ‘I need to work on myself a bit more’

And don’t make her go out.

“Dating sucks. It’s so embarrassing,” she says, laughing. “I was single until I was about 30 and forgot how good I was at it. I told a friend [that a potential partner] he would have to be an individual who brings his own life to the table without needing anything from me. It’s far more romantic to say, ‘I want you, but I don’t need anything.’ I’m doing really well right now, I’m having a good time.”

Kelly Clarkson for PEOPLE.

Weiss Eubanks

The Kelly Clarkson Show broadcasts on weekdays. Check local station listings and times.

For more of Clarkson’s exclusive interview, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education