Overview
- Anonymous staffers say they feel they owe Clarkson an apology after realizing her reduced availability coincided with a private family emergency.
- Morale reportedly dipped as she missed multiple tapings in March and later canceled remaining dates of her Las Vegas residency.
- Speculation about her future grew, with rumors naming Hoda Kotb as a potential replacement and prompting some employees to look for other jobs.
- After Brandon Blackstock’s death in August following a secret cancer battle, staffers report Clarkson is again talkative and engaged on set.
- Clarkson returned to her talk show in September without detailing the loss publicly, and Page Six previously reported she helped care for Blackstock.