Kelly Clarkson Opens Up About Her Body Image and Weight
"Too skinny, too fat, too blonde, so much blah. This is who I am."
By Temi Adebowale
Kelly Clarkson has captured fans' hearts ever since she won the first season of American Idol back in 2002. Since then, Clarkson has never been shy about sharing her story with the world.
She's been honest about subjects like her absentee father and her strong relationship with her stepchildren—and one topic Clarkson definitely doesn't shy away from is body image and her weight. The 36-year-old singer often opens up about how public scrutiny of her appearance has affected her. Her words, as well as her song "Whole Lotta Woman" from her Meaning of Life album, which she sang at this year's Billboard Music Awards, are relatable to anyone that's struggled with self-image.
Here are a few highlights of what she's said in the past.
On Letting Pictures Do the Talking
Though Clarkson has always been open about discussing her weight, that doesn't mean the star responds to everything people say about her body—good or bad. Recently, her stunning Instagram photos have earned a lot of attention, with hundreds of comments from fans who have noticed her weight loss. When she shared a photo of her look from the Warrior Games, her followers showered her with compliments.
A post shared by Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson)
Though commenters keep inquiring about Clarkson's "secret," she's remained mum.
On Her Weight-Loss "Secret"
Clarkson also received a lot of positive attention for her outfits at the 2018 Billboard Awards and the stunning dress she wore on the finale of The Voice. Fans also couldn't help but notice that the star appeared to have slimmed down, but she brushed off any comments about her size, crediting any appearance of weight loss to magic.
"I have to shout out my whole glam squad," she told Entertainment Tonight, before joking, "I literally hired Harry Potter and Spanx, it's all like a sausage."
On Keeping It Real
Following all the compliments Clarkson received for her appearance on the finale of The Voice, the singer took to Instagram to show a behind-the-scenes video of exactly how much work it took to achieve that look.
"Me & my glam squad decided to show people the before/after so every little girl out there knows that no one really looks like this without a great team and #magic," she wrote.
On Her Song "Whole Lotta Woman":
"I never wanted to draw attention," she told Rolling Stone of the song inspired by the emphasis on her physical appearance. "But for 15 years of my life, no matter if I'm really thin or really not, [weight was] always a talk of discussion. Even when I was on Idol, it was a discussion. I never really wanted to attract attention, because then you talk about it all the time, instead of [your] music."
"I'm a whole lotta woman
(From the way I walk and toss my hips)
I'm a whole lotta woman
(From the sound to my voice to the gloss on my lips)
(Anything I see I want, I get)
I'm a strong, badass chick with class and confidence, yeah"
"So it was fun to write a song that said, 'Yeah, you're right, I am a whole lot of woman, and it's ok," she continued about the track, which she's called her favorite to perform out of every song she's ever recorded. "I came with a brain, and I came with drive and passion and sensuality, and these things that are awesome. If you can't handle it, that's totally cool, but you're not tall enough to ride this ride, then move along. It's fine.' We put a fun twist on it."
On Helping Fans:
"I think what hurts my feelings for people is that I'll have a meet-and-greet after the show and a girl who's bigger than me will be in the meet-and-greet and be like, 'Wow, if they think you're big, I must be so fat to them,'" Clarkson revealed during an appearance on Ellen in 2015. "We just are who we are. You are who you are."
On Owning What You Have:
"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," Clarkson told Redbook in 2015. "But someone else probably wishes they could walk into a room and make friends with everyone like I can. You always want what someone else has."
On Not Caring What Others Think:
"People think, Oh, there's something wrong with her. She's putting on weight. I'm like, 'Oh, no! I'm sorry, but that represents happiness in my emotional world'", she told Redbook in 2017. If you gauge your life on what other people think, you're going to be in a constant state of panic trying to please everyone."
On How Pregnancy Changed Her Body:
"I think it's very important for me to be very open about my weight and people asking about it. Obviously, this is not my goal weight, if anyone's asking, but I had two kids," Clarkson said at the New York City SHE Summit in 2016. "I felt like I was perfect for three years. And I didn't want to lose the weight back then, I knew I was gonna have another kid."
On Social Media And Photoshop:
Clarkson also opened up about how social media is not reality at the SHE Summit. "I think it's important to tell girls that Photoshop is not reality, that's not what we look like, that's not what we want people to see," she said.
On Responding to Haters:
After British media personality Katie Hopkins sent out some fat-shaming tweets toward Clarkson, asking if she had "eaten her backing singers," Clarkson responded in the best way.
"I'm awesome! It doesn't bother me. It's a free world. Say what you will. I've just never cared what people think," she told Heat Magazine in 2015. "It's more if I'm happy and I'm confident and feeling good, that's always been my thing."
On Being a Role Model:
"The media has always been obsessed with [my size]. And I have felt conflicted over the years. Do you address it? Do you talk about it? Because then you just add to the noise," she told the Daily Mail in 2017. "But people like me [need] to talk about it, so I don't really mind carrying that flag. I love that people come up to me and say: 'Because you are comfortable in your skin, you have made me more comfortable in mine.' That's the best compliment ever."
On Happiness:
Clarkson also told the Daily Mail, "Too skinny, too fat, too blonde—so much blah. This is who I am and I'm happy. Happy looks different on everyone."
How Are Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson Related?
Temi Adebowale Temi Adebowale is the Editorial Assistant at Men's Health.
More From Country Music News
Listen to Tim McGraw's New Song with Tyler Hubbard
77 Best Country Love Songs of All Time
Country Stars Pay Tribute to Charley Pride
Fans Are Awestruck By Tim McGraw's Christmas Tree
Carrie Underwood's New Christmas Album is Here
The Ultimate Country Christmas Song Playlist
Spread Joy With These Religious Christmas Songs
How to Watch the 'CMA Country Christmas' Special
Get a First Look at Gwen Stefani's Engagement Ring
Fans are Obsessed with Shania & Kelsea's New Duet
This Is How How Kelly Clarkson Lost 37 Pounds
Kelly Clarkson on Holiday Weight Gain
Megyn Kelly's Weight-Loss Comments Spark Outrage
Kelly Clarkson Speaks Out About Her Divorce
Why Does Kelly Clarkson Hide Her Grammy Awards?
Kelly Clarkson Can't Stop Reading This Book