Kelly Clarkson was surprised by accusations of a toxic work environment on her talk show.

“American Idol” Winner Kelly Clarkson Shocked by Allegations of “Toxic” Work Environment on Her Talk Show

Kelly Clarkson, the talented star who rose to fame as the winner of “American Idol,” recently expressed her shock and disbelief at the allegations of a “toxic” work environment on the set of her popular talk show.

In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Clarkson revealed her initial reaction to the exposé that was released in May. She admitted, “I definitely was blindsided.” However, she emphasized the importance of not immediately canceling everything or everyone involved, but rather focusing on progress and improvement.

Clarkson explained, “You have to go, ‘Oh man, well, maybe we can do better at this. Obviously, we might have missed the mark here, so what can we do better?'” She firmly believes in working on issues and finding ways to be better examples.

A Fresh Start and a United Team

The talk show recently made a significant move from Los Angeles to New York, which Clarkson sees as an opportunity for a fresh start. She shared that they are actively working on merging the New York team with the individuals from L.A. to ensure inclusivity and unity.

Clarkson stated, “I think that’s all that did for us is one, recognize: OK, there’s something wrong, maybe. I didn’t know when that first came out. So, how do we fix this? How do we be better and better examples? So we’re already doing that, and adding on to what we already had planned initially, just to make sure everybody feels included and a part of the team.”

Anonymous Sources and Mental Health Impact

The original report, published by Rolling Stone, cited anonymous sources who primarily blamed executive producer Alexa Duda for the alleged toxic work environment. Many of the anonymous staffers claimed that Clarkson herself was likely unaware of what was happening.

According to the sources, the working environment was described as “traumatizing to their mental health.” One employee even admitted to going up on the roof of the stage to cry, questioning their decision to endure such circumstances.

Another anonymous staffer expressed their negative opinion of Duda, stating, “I think Alex Duda’s a monster. I have a friend who’s an executive producer who warned me about taking this job, because apparently she has done this on every show she’s worked on.”

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Clarkson later responded to the claims, expressing her surprise and stating that she had no knowledge of the alleged incidents. She wrote, “I love my team at The Kelly Clarkson Show, and to find out that anyone is feeling unheard and or disrespected on this show is unacceptable.”

She further emphasized her commitment to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment on the show. Clarkson plans to provide leadership training for all senior staff, including herself, to ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated.