Common and Kelly Clarkson are arguing over an age-old issue: is it possible to stay friends with your ex?
The two musicians weren't quite in agreement when the subject came up during a round of "Finding Common Ground" on Tuesday's episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
After more than a year of rumours, Common, 51, finally confirmed his romance with Jennifer Hudson. "Yes, I can definitely be friends with an ex," he remarked.
Conversely, 41-year-old Clarkson questioned, "Like, how long was the relationship?"
Common offered a more detailed explanation. "I mean, I’ve been friends with a lot of exes that I’ve had, and they’ve been long relationships, ‘cause most of them end pretty good," said the Grammy, Oscar and Emmy winner.
"I mean, we go through stuff at the beginning of the breakup, but then once we come to our grounds, it’s like, we’re good people. We’re cool people," added the rapper, before asking the American Idol alum, "Are you friends with any of your exes?"
"No," was the direct response from Clarkson, who parted ways with her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock in 2020 following a seven-year marriage that ended in divorce in 2022.
"No judgment!" quipped Common.
The Miss Independent singer said, "I mean, here’s the thing. I’m not not friends. I only have a couple that I’m like, 'Hard pass.'"
"I don’t have many exes, but a couple of them are cool people — nothing wrong with them," continued Clarkson. "If we ran into each other, we’d be totally friendly. But that’s the difference."
Common then wondered, "What if they invited you to a party? They said, 'Man, we’re having a party for some of the family members.'"
She's not against the idea. "Yeah, depending on the ex," said Clarkson. "I would be like, ‘OK, cool. I’ll show up.’ I just feel like it can get awkward for — it depends on who ended it, or who it is. It’s situational, but mostly no. I feel like that’s awkward. No common ground there!"
