{
  "id": 11045381,
  "title": "Kelly Clarkson Recalls Dolly Parton’s ‘Beautiful’ Words to Her 30 Minutes After Her Divorce Was Finalized",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/kelly-clarkson-recalls-dolly-partons-beautiful-words-to-her-30",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T22:18:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Billboard",
    "slug": "billboard",
    "url": "https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/kelly-clarkson-divorce-moment-dolly-parton-1236351305/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kelly Clarkson recently shared a touching story about Dolly Parton on the Las Culturistas podcast. The “Stronger” singer recounted her first encounter with Parton, who was present at a Reba McEntire tribute years ago. Over the years, Parton became someone Clarkson frequently ran into. However, the singer's most cherished memory of the late country icon occurred in 2022. At the ACM Awards, Clarkson was tasked with performing a live rendition of “I Will Always Love You” to honor Parton, who watched from the side of the stage. Just 30 minutes before her performance, Clarkson received some unexpected news – her divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, had been finalized. Clarkson revealed that she ran into Parton backstage as she prepared for her performance and shared her distress with her. Parton, noticing Clarkson's situation, offered her some comforting words. While Clarkson didn't disclose what Parton said, she emphasized that the singer's support helped her stay grounded during a particularly challenging time. The news of Parton's passing in August at the age of 80 following a brief cancer battle came shortly after this incident. Clarkson has since stepped away from her Kelly Clarkson Show to focus on her two children with Blackstock, now their sole parent. Clarkson praised Parton for her ability to connect with people despite their different life experiences, highlighting the lasting impact of Parton's kind words.",
  "summary": "\"She’s just one of those people you don’t have to know your whole life, but you can in one instance,\" Clarkson said.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}