Kelly Clarkson may be an accomplished artist, talk show host and coach on The Voice, but the singer says she wasn't exactly embraced by Hollywood back in 2002 when she was a contestant on the very first season of American Idol.
During an interview with guest Jennifer Love Hewitt on her talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson said that many people she encountered on red carpets and industry events were rude and dismissive of her because she was on a talent show. Hewitt, however, showed the then 20-year-old Clarkson kindness.
"You probably don't remember this, but it stuck with me [for] so long, almost 20 years now," Clarkson told Hewitt. "But right after—you have no idea I'm about to say this and you probably don't remember—but it was at some kind of MTV Awards or something or VMAs or something, I don't know what it was, but you ran up to me. And it was right when like the final three I think of Idol, and we were just so slammed and everything was happening like in a whirlwind and people like were really mean to us because we're from a talent show and it was the first season...Everyone was so rude to us, like, on the carpet, like at the show ... it was so bad. It was a horrible experience and you came up to me and ran up to me out of nowhere and were like, 'Oh my gosh! I'm really rooting for you!'"
Clarkson revealed Hewitt even gave her some valuable advice for handling the stress of being in the spotlight.
"You told me, 'Please keep the ones you love so close and it'll end up being about a few people in your life, unfortunately, this business can be really hard,'" Kelly recalled. "'And just remember to keep those people who really love you close.' You just gave me this advice that was really, really kind in such an unkind time for me personally."
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Soon after Clarkson's American Idol win, her debut single "A Moment Like This" topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became the best-selling single in the U.S. in 2002.
These days, the Texan is one of the busiest and most beloved celebrities in the business, hosting the Billboard Music Awards and interviewing stars on her own show in between releasing albums.
Clarkson, who released her debut album Thankful in 2003, announced her divorce from Brandon Blackstock last year.
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