FRESH START

Call her Kelly Brianne! The artist formerly known as Kelly Clarkson has officially changed her name. “My new name more fully reflects who I am,” the 39-year-old said of swapping her father’s surname for her own middle name in court papers. The urge for a new moniker comes just weeks after the talk show host and ex-husband Brandon Blacktock finalized their divorce following their June 2020 split after nearly seven years of marriage and two children. “I just divorced, so I had to drop my married last name,” she told a reporter. “I just kept my middle name for my personal life. I’m still Kelly Clarkson.”

It’s probably not a coincidence that the change comes just as the American Song Contest star turns 40. “It symbolizes Kelly’s fresh start and she’s so happy and relieved to begin this new chapter,” an insider tells Star. “Now that the ugly business of her divorce is over, she’s excited to start over.” And, with

The Kelly Clarkson Show due to take over Ellen DeGeneres’ coveted slot this fall, she has nowhere to go but up! ★