"I find nothing wrong": Kelly Clarkson admits to spanking her daughter in controversial old interview

Kelly Clarkson may be on her way back to the limelight with her tenth studio album, titled Chemistry, which is set to release on June 23, 2023, but there are a few things about the singer that remain controversial to this day. One of the things that generated quite a bit of controversy a few years ago was the former American Idol's admission that she used 'spanking' as a means to discipline her daughter, River Rose, who was three years old at the time.

Of course, this was quite a common practice back in the day, as indicated by the singer herself, but candidly saying that in an interview raised many eyebrows, especially those of parents who strongly believe that any form of physical altercation with a child may lead to twisted psychological growth. This view is also echoed by child psychologists, who deem this method inappropriate.

But in a 2018 interview with Radio.com, Kelly Clarkson revealed that she found "nothing wrong" with the practice while also saying that her parents spanked her and she turned out fine. She revealed in the interview:

"My parents spanked me, and I did fine in life, and I feel fine about it, so I do that as well....When you're out in public, people are like, they think that's wrong or something, but I find nothing wrong with a spanking."

Kelly Clarkson also elaborated on her views while talking about this claim.

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"I'm not above a spanking": Kelly Clarkson on disciplining her children

Kelly Clarkson has a largely successful career as a musician, scoring many hits and touching many with her music. But when it came to parenting, she rubbed people the wrong way by admitting to the use of physical punishment to discipline her children.

The mother of two, however, does not see it as a punishment that could harm a child in any way. She said in the controversial interview:

"I'm not above a spanking, which people aren't necessarily into. And I don't mean like hitting her hard, I just mean a spanking."

The Voice judge also added that she usually warned her kids before doing it. She added:

"I'm like, 'Hi, I'm gonna spank you on your bottom if you don't stop right now. Like, this is ridiculous....Honestly it's really helped. They don't do that kind of stuff as often."

While Kelly Clarkson claimed that it helped when she spanked her children for misbehaving, this view is not accepted by child psychologists, who have claimed that spanking usually backfires on parents as children continue to misbehave in both the short and long term. The use of force has also been linked to unsteady growth and trauma in children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents not use any kind of physical force to discipline children. The AAP said in a statement:

"That [Spanking] only teaches aggressive behavior, and becomes ineffective if used often,...Instead, use appropriate time outs for young children...Discipline older children by temporarily removing favorite privileges, such as sports activities or playing with friends. If you have questions about disciplining your children, talk with your pediatrician."

Kelly Clarkson's interview remains a controversial and debatable subject even to this day.