Clarkson hasn’t yet revealed the reason behind her recent absence from her NBC talk show.

Kelly Clarkson at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

Kelly Clarkson’s “very painful” personal issues have led her to have a “moment of clarity,” an insider told Page Six.
She recently took time off from The Kelly Clarkson Show for undisclosed reasons.
“She knew she had to step down for a minute,” the source said.

Kelly Clarkson reportedly “knows her limits” when it comes to her talk show hosting gig. On Saturday, Page Six revealed that after an extended absence from The Kelly Clarkson Show, the singer has had a “moment of clarity” regarding the “very painful” personal issues she’s currently dealing with.

Clarkson has yet to explain why she took a brief hiatus from her NBC show back in March. Several celebrities, including Brooke Shields, Andy Cohen, and Simu Liu, stepped in to host while she was away.

Kelly Clarkson singing on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show.’.Getty Images

“This has all been very painful for her,” a source close to Clarkson told Page Six. “The difficulty is that Kelly, like all of us, wants to be liked, and she had to deal with this new moment in her life. She knew she had to step down for a minute.”

The insider added that “family comes first” for Clarkson, but that “she’s been humbled by the whole situation.”

“What has happened has given her a moment of clarity, I think,” they continued.

Kelly Clarkson at the 2024 Emmy Awards.Getty Images

Clarkson previously served as a coach on the reality competition series The Voice alongside Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton, and Adam Levine, though she announced her departure from the show in 2023.

“She knows her limits, even on The Voice, when she was working so hard, she knew when she needed a refresh—that’s what you’re seeing now,” the source said, describing Clarkson as “a very feeling, sensitive person.”

Despite being in the spotlight for over 20 years as a result of her American Idol win, fame hasn’t always been easy for Clarkson.

“There is a price to pay and sometimes it sucks…people care about Kelly, they feel that she’s their star, and that’s the cross she must bear,” the insider added. “But I think she’s found her peace and is making sense of her world, and the events in her life.”

Hoda Kotb with Kelly Clarkson in December 2024.Getty Images