Kelly Clarkson was giddy with excitement on Friday as she tuned in for a live chat with fans on Instagram.The American Idol alum celebrated the release of her song, "Favorite Kind of High", with a Q&A from inside her family home.
Kelly, 41, appeared fresh-faced with none of the heavy make-up she often sports for the cameras. The singer wore a wide-brimmed Stetson and her hair in braids as she added her "favorite filter" which produced a twinkly effect.
"Going live to celebrate #favoritekindofhigh," she captioned the post before confessing she had barely been able to sleep due to her excitement.
Her new music comes at a challenging time for Kelly as The Kelly Clarkson Show has been accused of having a toxic work environment behind the scenes.
She broke her silence over the allegations which claimed staff were "overworked" and "underpaid" on May 13 by sharing a statement which read: "In my 20 years in the entertainment industry, I've always led with my heart and what I believed to be right. I love my team at 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' and to find out anyone is feeling unheard and or disrespected on this show is unacceptable.
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"I have always been, and will continue to be, committed to creating and maintaining a safe and healthy environment at 'The Kelly Clarkson Show'." She continued: "As we prepare for a move to the East Coast, I am more committed than ever to ensuring that not only our team that is moving, but also our new team in NY, is comprised of the best and kindest in the business.
"Part of that build will include leadership training for all of the senior staff, including myself. There is always room to grow and ensure we are all being/becoming the best version of ourselves in any business, especially when it comes to leadership to ensure that any notion of toxicity is eradicated – Kelly."
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Kelly reportedly had "no clue how unhappy" the team is, with the accusations leveled at executive producer Alex Duda. Rolling Stone spoke to 10 former employees and one current employee, who all shared that they don't believe the host has any sense of what is happening behind the scenes.
"Kelly is fantastic. She is a person who never treats anyone with anything but dignity and is incredibly appreciative," one former employee said. "I would be shocked if she knew. I'd be floored if she knew the staff wasn't getting paid for two weeks of Christmas hiatus. The Kelly that I interacted with and that everyone knows would probably be pretty aghast to learn that."
An NBCUniversal spokesperson told HELLO!: “We are committed to a safe and respectful work environment and take workplace complaints very seriously and to insinuate otherwise is untrue. When issues are reported they are promptly reviewed, investigated and acted upon as appropriate. The Kelly Clarkson Show strives to build a safe, respectful and equitable workplace that nurtures a culture of inclusivity and creativity."
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