Kelly Clarkson was told she wasn’t attractive enough to be on The Voice by her former manager – who also happened to be her husband at the time – and that they would rather have a “sex symbol” like Rihanna to sit the panel.
Clarkson – who recently announced her permanent departure as a judge from the hit TV series after nearly eight years – disclosed ex-husband Brandon Blackstock’s hurtful words during following their rancorous divorce last year.
Per the court documents cited in a recent report by the New York Post, the Original American Idol testified during a financial battle against Blackstock that he tried to crush her years-long desire to be a coach on The Voice.
He allegedly told Clarkson that NBC execs were uninterested in her and were “looking for more sex symbol type” like Rihanna, not only because she was “someone sexy” but because the network “had to have someone that was black… They had to have a diverse thing.”
Clarkson confessed that his bashful words left a mark, emphasising, “A wife doesn’t forget a time she gets told she’s not a sex symbol, so that stays.”
Clearly, though, she didn’t let him stop her dreams, going on to coach countless emerging singers through seasons 14 to 21 – briefly returning for Season 23 in 2023.
She even led four teams to victory through her tenure.
However, she announced her permanent departure from the show in May 2015 for a “fresh start,” per USA Today.
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