She’s estimated to have sold over 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide, and Billboard has called her “one of pop music’s greatest singers.”
After she admitted she’s “not above spanking” her children, people took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their outrage.
Another person added: “I was spanked as a kid and it was traumatizing. I don’t even remember what I did wrong. I only remember being terrified.”
A third commenter argued: “You can’t hit someone and then teach them that hitting you is wrong.”
On the other hand, some people defended Clarkson. One fan wrote: “There’s nothing wrong with that! It’s a way of giving discipline to kids in my culture.”
Clarkson, known for her hit “Stronger” and for winning the first-ever season of American Idol, has two children with her ex-husband, talent manager Brandon Blackstock.
They welcomed their daughter, River Rose, in 2014, and their son, Remington ‘Remy’ Alexander, in 2016.
However, after almost seven years of marriage, they filed for divorce in June 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
Their divorce was finalized in 2022, with a settlement that required Clarkson to make a one-time payment of $1,326,161 to Blackstock.
She also agreed to pay $115,000 monthly until January 31, 2024, and $45,601 per month in child support, as reported by Today.
This year, Clarkson has reached a confidential settlement with Blackstock regarding the millions in commission he paid himself while managing her, according to Rolling Stone.
She frequently opens up about her parenting experiences. In a 2016 interview with Redbook, she said: “I have a lot of mom guilt. I was just talking about this… If you’re a mom, you want to be with your kid every day.”
“You don’t want to miss a moment. You want her to need you and want you and not want somebody else. I’m not gonna BS you, that’s hard.”
“But at the end of the day, 99 percent of the time, it’s awesome and it’s worth it and that’s what I say to myself.”
During an interview on Atlanta radio station 94.1 in 2018, the singer shared (via FM104): “I’m not above a spanking, which people aren’t necessarily into. I don’t mean hitting her hard. I just mean a spanking.”
Clarkson explained that her approach to discipline is influenced by her own childhood, adding:
“My parents spanked me, and I did fine in life, and I feel fine about it, and I do that as well. That’s a tricky thing, when you’re out in public, because then people are like, they think that’s wrong or something, but I find nothing wrong with a spanking.“
“I warn her. I’m like, ‘Hi, I’m going to spank you on your bottom if you don’t stop right now, this is ridiculous,’ and honestly it’s really helped. She doesn’t do that kind of stuff as often.”
Their statement reads: “Corporal punishment – or the use of spanking as a disciplinary tool – increases aggression in young children in the long run and is ineffective in teaching a child responsibility and self-control.”
The AAP also notes the potential harm of verbal punishment, including shaming or humiliation.
