Kelly Clarkson Opens Up About Leaving 'The Voice': 'I Was Struggling'

Kelly Clarkson is opening up about her decision to leave her longtime coaching gig on The Voice, revealing that she was "struggling" a lot at the time.

Clarkson is no stranger to televised singing competitions, being crowned the winner on the very first season of American Idol, and she used her experience while acting as a coach on The Voice from seasons 14 to 21, taking a brief break and returning for season 23. However, the time came for her to take a step back from the show, with the Chemistry singer sharing that it was part of her process of knowing what she can handle, per Entertainment Tonight.

"Full disclosure, I put on a smile a lot of those times because I was struggling a lot in my personal life," said Clarkson, who finalized her divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock in 2022. "I've learned a lot about what I'm capable of handling, and also what you should not handle. That was me saying 'bye' to The Voice and having this big move."

During her run on the show, she joked around with fellow judges like Blake Shelton, John Legend, Gwen Stefani, Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande. Despite the camaraderie, she was still struggling with putting on a happy face.

"I love that family, but I was like, 'I'm struggling. I can't smile anymore. I don't feel like smiling,'" she said.

Her decision to leave The Voice allowed her to move her own talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show to New York City, and the move is going well. Since making the cross-country trek with her two kids, 9-year-old River Rose and 7-year-old Remington Alexander, the "Stronger" singer said she feels like a "weight has lifted."