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Kelly Clarkson opens up about divorce in TODAY exclusive: My life's been 'a dumpster'

The pop star and talk show host spoke about her divorce from her husband of nearly seven years and how she poured those emotions into her new album.
/ Source: TODAY

Kelly Clarkson has had some high points this summer, like her first Emmy award and her popular "Kellyoke" videos, but it has come during a time of personal strife.

The pop star didn't mince words when speaking with Willie Geist on Sunday TODAY about filing for divorce from her husband of nearly seven years in June.

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"I mean, it's no secret," she said. "My life has been a little bit of a dumpster ... personally, it's been a little hard the last couple months.

"I've been talking to friends that have been through divorce. I don't know how people go through that without having some kind of outlet because it is the worst thing ever for everyone involved."

Clarkson, 38, filed for divorce from Brandon Blackstock in June, citing “irreconcilable differences” and requesting joint custody of their two children, River Rose, 6, and son, Remington, 4.

She's pouring her emotions over her split with Blackstock into her new album, which she expects to release next year.

"This'll probably be the most personal one I've ever released," she said. "And the whole record is basically every emotion you experience from the beginning of a relationship to the end of what it is now or where it is now, and it's been very therapeutic for me."

Clarkson's children have already gotten a preview.

"It's very honest. There's one that my kids sing in the car," she said. "I'm going through mixes, and I'm just, like, 'This is weird.' Like, it's your relationship. I've never written about my life to where my kids are singing along."

She has appeared to maintain a cordial relationship with Blackstock, whom she thanked after winning her first Emmy for outstanding entertainment talk show host for “The Kelly Clarkson Show." The award came just a few weeks after she had filed for divorce.

She credited Blackstock, who has been her manager and is the son of her former manager, for encouraging her to pursue a career in television.

"Thank you so much to @BBlackstock for believing in me & convincing me to do @KellyClarksonTV show and @lifeofT for being the greatest friend/assistant #BestEmilyICouldHaveAskedFor,” she tweeted.

Clarkson also spoke to Willie about how she found out the "insane" news that she had won an Emmy in the inaugural year of her talk show.

"I totally forgot that the Emmys were on," she said. "I'm sitting there playing with Legos with my kid. My executive producer Alex calls me and is, like, 'You are the best host.' And I was, like, 'Thank you.'

"And I was having kind of a hard week, and I literally almost started crying, because I was like, 'This is just the nicest thing to call someone out of nowhere and just be kind.' And she was, like, 'No, no, no, no. You won the Emmy for outstanding...' and I was, like, 'What?!'"

A segment that has become a fan favorite on her show is her "Kellyoke" performances in which she covers songs by everyone from Whitney Houston to the White Stripes.

"I’m so used to covering songs," she told Willie. "It's so innate in me to try to do something different."

Between working on new music, preparing for the return of her talk show on Sept. 21, serving as a judge on the upcoming season of "The Voice" and now filling in for Simon Cowell as a judge on "America's Got Talent," Clarkson has had a full plate. She also will be hosting next month's Billboard Music Awards.