She may have a critically acclaimed daytime talk show named after her, but that's not stopping Kelly Clarkson from changing her name. The hit singer rose to fame back in the day on American Idol 2002 and is now one of the biggest and most well-known singers on the planet. Regardless, she officially filed a request on Wednesday with the Los Angeles County court to drop her last name and be known from now on as "Kelly Brianne" - her first and middle name. Here's what to know.
For starters, the hearing to confirm this change is scheduled for March 28. Although Kelly was legally declared single in September 2021, this news comes almost a year and a half after she first filed for divorce from her husband of seven years, Brandon Blackstock - citing "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the separation. 'Clarkson' was not her married last name, so this might seem like an interesting choice for the singer. When asked why, Kelly explained that this new name "more fully reflects who I am." Whether this will mean a change to the name of her talk show is not yet known.
But Kelly is actually no stranger to court proceedings. Clarkson has been going through a bitter divorce with her now ex-husband, including tense discussions over the custody arrangements for their two children. In November 2020, Kelly was granted primary custody, with her ex being allowed to see the children just a few times a month. The judge explained that "the parties have a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them." It seems with all this now behind her, Kelly Brianne is ready for a new chapter in her life.
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On a lighter note, we must mention some of the top Twitter reactions to this name change news - because does something really happen in Hollywood if Twitter doesn't react?? "Sorry, but I'm not calling her Kelly Brianne. That name is giving an autumnal IG influencer from North Carolina or a sister wife", jokes one user. "The Kelly Clarkson Show (Kelly Brianne's Version)" laughs another user, in an apparent reference to Taylor Swift's famous music re-recordings. One thing we know for sure is that we will support Kelly, whatever her name is! Stay tuned while this breaking story develops.
