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Following the likes of Kanye West, singer-songwriter and celebrity host Kelly Clarkson filed to change her name to exclude her renowned surname legally. As per court documents obtained by US Weekly, the 39-year-old proceeded with the legal request to drop her surname on February 14, 2022.
The Texas native wants her new legal name to be Kelly Brianne. Brianne was formerly her middle name. Kelly Clarkson's legal appeal to change her surname comes a year after her divorce from Brandon Blackstock, to whom she was married for eight years.
Potential reasons behind Kelly Clarkson's legal appeal to change her surname
In court documents, Brianne reportedly mentioned:
"...my new name more fully reflects who I am."
According to US Weekly, the 39-year-old singer has a court hearing on March 28 regarding her appeal to change her name.
The Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) singer's decision to change her name could be due to her past relationship with her late father. Clarkson did not change her surname until recently despite having an estranged relationship with her biological father, Stephen Michael Clarkson.
Even after her marriage, Kelly Brianne Clarkson chose not to take her husband's surname. However, it is very unlikely that this name change will affect her professional career where her surname is associated with her musical rights and her self-titled talk show.
Thus, it is possible that despite her name change, she would professionally stick to Kelly Clarkson to uncomplicate things.
Kelly Clarkson had a complicated relationship with her late father
While Clarkson's estranged father, Stephen, passed away in 2019, their relationship could have contributed to her decision. Clarkson's parents separated when she was reportedly six, forcing her siblings to live separately.
Following their divorce, Kelly's elder brother lived with their father, and her elder sister had to live with their aunt. Meanwhile, Clarkson had to live with her mother.
In recent years, the singer has been quite vocal about the lack of her father's presence in her life. During a 2017 interview with Norwegian-Swedish talk show host, Skavlan, Kelly Clarkson disclosed that she was not in touch with her biological father.
The Voice judge added that she had tried to reconnect with him. However, it presumably did not work out. She elaborated:
"...you keep trying and you're like 'you know, I shouldn't work this hard for someone's love."
Previously, the Grammy-winning artist released two songs regarding her experience with her parents' divorce and her estranged father at the time. In 2004, the singer released Because of you, where she talked about the impact of her parents' divorce on her life.
Meanwhile, her 2015 song Piece by Piece compared her former husband's role in their daughter's life to her father's presence in her life.
