Relationships between parents and their celebrity children often show up in different forms. On one hand, we have parents such a Richard Williams and Earl Woods, whose beliefs in their children saw them grow to become worldwide stars. The same could be said for Matthew Knowles, who, despite having a rocky relationship with Beyonce Knowles later on, was the engine behind the success of Destiny’s Child.
On the other hand, some celebrity parents’ relationships with their children are not so cordial. The bile can stem from total neglect, substance abuse, or irresponsibility, factors that lead to emancipation or complete separation. Kelly Clarkson, unfortunately, has been on the receiving end of this rough side of parenting. Here’s how her relationship with her father, Stephen Michael Clarkson, penned out through the years:
10 A Texan Upbringing
Kelly Clarkson was born in 1982 in Fort Worth, Texas. Her mother, Jeanne Ann is an English teacher, while her late dad, Stephen Michael Clarkson, was a former engineer. In a family of five, Clarkson is the youngest child. She has two older siblings, Jason, her brother, and her sister Alyssa. They grew up together until their parents divorced when Clarkson was six years old.
9 A Typical Last Born
Clarkson likes to think of herself as a typical last born. On the Scandinavian talk show, Skavlan, she said, “ I’m the last born and only child kind of because I am very much a gypsy. My mother still is like, ‘Oh my God, you have four children,’” As the youngest, Clarkson said she pretty much loved the spotlight, and was willing to tap dance around things.
8 An Early Divorce
Upon the divorce of Clarkson’s mother and father, the family was divided. In an interview with Sirius XFM, she revealed that she and her siblings went separate ways. Alyssa grew up with an aunt in North Carolina, while Jason found a home with her dad in California. Clarkson stayed with her mom in Texas. Clarkson’s mother would later get married to Jimmy Taylor.
7 A Conservative Family
In a past interview, Clarkson revealed that most of her upbringing was conservative in nature and that she had to go to church every Sunday and Wednesday. In fact, Clarkson was the leader of the church’s youth group. Her talent was discovered by her high school teacher, Cynthia Glenn, who asked her to audition for the school choir. One thing led to another, and before we knew it, Clarkson auditioned for American Idol, a show that brought her into the limelight. As Clarkson grew famous, so did interest in her family.
6 They Didn’t Keep In Touch
Growing separately from her siblings and biological father, Kelly Clarkson barely kept in touch. Each of them was in a different place, living a different life, and besides, she only stayed with her mom for a while before her stepdad and five step-siblings came around. “ I’ve never really been in touch with him. And I know a lot of people go ‘aww', but it’s not really that situation. Because you don’t grow up with it, it’s hard to miss something you never had.” She said.
5 But Clarkson Still Tried To Connect
It’s not that Clarkson ghosted her family. Life happened separately, but she did try to make it work for the sake of her brother. "I definitely tried a few times in my life, and I did that more for my brother. He’s a decade older than me and he’s really that kid who wanted everybody to come together. He was always that guy. He’s got such a big heart and he wanted it to work.” Clarkson said.
4 A Toxic Environment
According to Clarkson, her father provided such a toxic environment that kept inflicting pain her way. Part of the reason she distanced herself was because her father was bad news. “ I think, even if it’s not your father, whoever it is in your life, if someone presents such a cancerous environment and then just keeps hurting you, even if they are doing it inadvertently and they just don’t know better, you should just not have that person in your life. And it’s okay, it’s not a hateful situation. You go your own way.” Clarkson said.
3 A Tipping Point
Even the nicest of people have their boundaries. When they are presented with negativity over and over, it’s only a matter of time before they finally have enough and choose to call it a day. Kelly had her moment too, and she says, “ I think it just became almost… I think in your life when something almost becomes humiliating, you keep trying and you’re like ‘you know, I shouldn’t work this hard for someone’s love.’”
2 Choosing To Heal
Although Clarkson’s father wasn’t the best of parents, Clarkson chose to understand him and heal. “ It’s sad, honestly, for him. Not only missing on me but my kids, and my sister and my brother. He miss[ed]es out on a lot. I think that sets in, the older you get. But, I think some people just…and in fairness to him, I don’t know his life, how he grew up. I don’t know if he’s repeating a cycle that was once taught to him. I have no hatefulness, no anger, no nothing about it.”
1 Piece By Piece
Given their strained relationship, Clarkson didn’t feel the loss of her dad. However, when she became a parent, she knew what a parent should be. When she wrote the song ‘Piece by Piece’, she did it for her daughter and her ex-husband. However, when pieces of the puzzle started to fit, Clarkson discovered she was the hero she needed all along.