Kelly Clarkson left Los Angeles for the summer to spend time with her two children in Montana, where her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, also lives.
“The kids were with me and their dad,” the American Idol alum said of daughter River, 8, and son Remington, 6, on a Tuesday. “Today” show appearance.
“It was nice because our divorce usually means they have to travel a lot, [but] we were both in Montana,” the 40-year-old singer told Hoda Kotb and Carson Daly.
“It was the first time I think my kids felt more centered too.”
The “Voice” judge, who said goodbye to her former manager, 45, in June 2020, noted that she hasn’t taken a summer off since she was 16 – but had to relax after a “rough couple of years”.
Clarkson explained: “It was very important for me to stop for a moment. I literally drove four wheels through the mountains.
“My sister, my cousin and I, and some friends just spent the whole summer in the mountains, just hanging out in nature,” she continued, noting that they “used a lot of water.” [her] property.”
Clarkson bought the 14 acres in 2019 while married to Blackstock, and they fought over the ranch after they called it quits.
The songwriter was initially assigned the property during divorce proceedings in October 2021, but her ex argued that the property was “marriage property” and was not included in their prenuptial agreement.
When Clarkson tried to get him off the ranch two months later, a judge refused.
In January, the “Since U Been Gone” singer agreed to give her ex-husband 5.12 percent of the property.
Their divorce was finalized two months later.
The “Kelly Clarkson Show” host did not specify Tuesday whether she spent time with Blackstock herself while raising their children in the same state.
The former couple share custody of River and Remington, whom they welcomed in 2014 and 2016 respectively.