Kelly Clarkson’s Weight Struggles Led Her To Entertain Suicidal Thoughts

Kelly Clarkson shocked and delighted fans earlier this month after flaunting her toned body in a talk show. Though the American Idol winner looked terrific, not everyone knows how hard she worked to achieve it or the struggles she had to overcome during her younger years.

According to the 41-year-old talk show host and singer, she lost weight and became kinder to her body after a messy divorce that included an ugly custody battle. Since being diagnosed with a thyroid condition in 2006, Kelly has learned to be more open about her struggles with her body weight.

Kelly recalled a guest appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2015 where she was known as the biggest girl on American Idol. Though she personally didn’t consider herself large, everyone treated her as though she was. 

In another interview during that same year with REDBOOK, Kelly admitted, “I don’t obsess about my weight, which is probably one of the reasons why other people have such a problem with it. There are just some people who are born skinny and with a great metabolism – that is not me. I wish I had a better metabolism.”

She said that people were “always wanting what someone else has.”

In 2017, Kelly revealed that she even contemplated committing suicide after she was forced to look better and lose weight as she began her career. The pressure to be skinny in exchange for a better music career made her miserable. She told Attitude during her interview with them, “When I was really skinny, I wanted to kill myself.”

She also told the publication that despite the fact that she was beginning a promising career, it was a “very dark time” for her. Note that the “Because of You” hitmaker already had a history of eating disorders while in high school.

Kelly shared, “I thought the only way out was quitting. I, like, wrecked my knees and my feet because all I would do was put in headphones and run. I was at the gym all the time.”

But after her Attitude interview was released, Kelly retracted her statement by saying that she “never contemplated suicide” because of her weight.

Kelly used Twitter—now X—to explain, “Just to clear something up. I wasn’t ever miserable because I had to be thin. I said I was miserable & as a result, I became thin. NOT TRUE! I’ve never contemplated suicide because of my weight. I said people had no idea I was unhappy, oddly enough, because I appeared healthy.”

That same year, Kelly looked back at all the fat jokes and criticisms that were directed towards women, saying, “too skinny, too fat, too blonde – so much blah. This is who I am, and I’m happy. Happy looks different on everyone.” 

Kelly also mentioned that the media has always been obsessed with her size. Throughout the years, she has been conflicted about how to handle it. The “Since You’ve Been Gone” singer would ask herself if she needed to address the media, issue clarifications, or defend herself. In the end, she decided not to add to the noise.

After everything Kelly’s been through, it seems that she has come to accept the inevitable—that people will talk regardless of what she says or doesn’t say.