Kelly Clarkson canceled her Las Vegas residency minutes before showtime on July 4 over vocal issues — but she also faces “hidden battles,” sources tell Page Six.
The singer and TV host axed the opening night of her “Studio Sessions” residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace just 90 minutes before showtime last Friday, devastating fans.
Clarkson, 43, said she could not risk causing “serious damage” to her voice, since, as one Vegas insider told us, “She belts out every single note. She’s an incredibly powerful singer, but it takes its toll on her vocal cords and she’s come incredibly close to needing surgery before.
“She cannot risk damaging her cords further — she’s on thin ice.”
Back in March, Clarkson missed 10 episodes of her NBC talk show, with her spot being filled by guest hosts — and was absent again the following month when Andy Cohen stepped in to host. Both times she cited personal matters as her reason for taking off.
Clarkson has been open about the toll her turbulent divorce from Brandon Blackstock, father of their kids, daughter River Rose, 10, and son Remy, 8, took on her.
A second insider in the know added, “Kelly’s personal life is so insanely complicated … Kelly is fighting some serious hidden battles that very few people are privy to … it’s a source of emotional and therefore physical distress for her.”
Clarkson has been candid about just how much the 2020 split after seven years of marriage and the ensuing legal battle took out of her, telling Apple Music in 2023, “Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle [the divorce] well.”
Page Six has reached out to Clarkson’s rep for comment.
After canceling the first weekend, Clarkson is expected to kick off the residency this Friday.
In an emotional note, she said she wanted to create the “most intimate and extraordinary experience” for her “incredible fans.”
However, she noted, “The prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice.
The “Stronger” singer added, “I am beyond grateful that you always show up for me and I am devastated to have to postpone.”
Clarkson reassured her fans that the career-spanning show is “incredible” and concluded, “I can’t wait to be back next weekend and show y’all what we’ve been working on.”
Page Six has previously revealed how the star’s “very painful” personal issues may force her to quit “The Kelly Clarkson Show” next year.In May, the “Since U Been Gone” singer also lamented how the NBC show had held her back from going on tour, saying, “We haven’t done a show in a while, y’all, ’cause I have a talk show. It’s like a whole other job.”