Jill Biden Offers Kelly Clarkson Advice About Getting Through Divorce

The first lady told the talk show host that things happen for the best and that life will eventually “look better.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden offers comforting advice to Kelly Clarkson, telling the singer and talk-show host who is going through a divorce that things happen for the best and that life will eventually “look better.”

The first lady — a divorcee herself — also reveals what she looks forward to when COVID-19 clears up and explains why women should take time for themselves every day, as she does. She spoke during an interview with Clarkson that is set to air nationally on Thursday.

Clarkson recently brought her show to the White House for a socially distant conversation with Biden in the East Room. NBC released interview excerpts Wednesday, including a clip of the first lady offering comforting words about carrying on after a relationship breakup.

Citing her late mother’s advice, she tells Clarkson things happen for a reason. She also says her divorce freed her to meet Joe Biden and have a family with him.

“My mother always said to me things are going to look better, tomorrow,” Jill Biden said, encouraging Clarkson to “take one day at a time, and things will get better.”

’I look back on it now, and I think, you know, if I hadn’t gotten divorced, I never would have met Joe,” she continued. “I wouldn’t have the beautiful family I have now. So I really think things happen for the best and I think, Kelly, over time, I don’t know how long it’s been for you, but I think, over time, you heal, and you’re going to be surprised and I can’t wait until that day comes for you.”

Clarkson has spoken in other interviews about the pain of her public breakup. She filed for divorce last year from Brandon Blackstock after nearly seven years of marriage. They have two children.

After marrying Joe Biden, Jill Biden helped raise his sons Beau and Hunter after their mother and baby sister died in a car crash in 1972. The couple later had a daughter, Ashley. Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015 at age 46. The Bidens also have six grandchildren.

During her first solo television interview, Jill Biden also discussed her interest in education, military families, cancer research and healing the country. She also answered questions from members of the show’s virtual audience.

“Maybe go have a martini and some french fries,” she told one audience participant who asked what she would do when COVID-19 clears up.

She explained why she loves to exercise and carves out time for herself.

“I run, I bike. It clears my head, so that’s really important to me and I think all women should have something, it doesn’t have to be exercise, although hopefully it would be,” she said. “Just to take a moment for yourself.”

“So I get up early, and that’s my time that I have for myself,” Biden said.

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Before You Go

Jill Biden's Style Evolution
1987(01 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden at a fundraiser in Chicago on May 11, 1987. (credit:Mark Reinstein / MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx)
1987(02 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden after the former announced his first candidacy for president in Washington, D.C., on June 9, 1987. (credit:Mark Reinstein / MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx)
1988(03 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden with their daughter Ashley outside of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 1988. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
1994(04 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden in 1994. (credit:JAMES M. KELLY/MediaPunch/IPx)
2008(05 of29)
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Jill Biden and Michelle Obama at a rally in Springfield, Illinois, on Aug. 23, 2008. (credit:EMMANUEL DUNAND via Getty Images)
2008(06 of29)
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Michelle Obama and Jill Biden at their election night victory rally in Chicago on Nov. 4, 2008. (credit:JEWEL SAMAD via Getty Images)
2009(07 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden at Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2009. (credit:Pool via Getty Images)
2009(08 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden at the Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2009. (credit:MCT via Getty Images)
2009(09 of29)
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Jill Biden at the championship round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., on May 28, 2009. (credit:Bill Clark via Getty Images)
2010(10 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden arrive in Amman, Jordan, on March 11, 2010. (credit:Salah Malkawi via Getty Images)
2010(11 of29)
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Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit with Joe, Jill and Ashley Biden at the Sharm El Sheikh Airport on June 6, 2010. (credit:KHALED DESOUKI via Getty Images)
2011(12 of29)
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Jill Biden at a Mother's Day event at the White House on May 6, 2011. (credit:Alex Wong via Getty Images)
2012(13 of29)
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Jill Biden, Joe Biden and British Foreign Secretary William Hague at the White House on March 14, 2012. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
2012(14 of29)
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Michelle Obama and Jill Biden at an event announcing a new report about military spouse employment in Arlington, Virginia, on Feb. 15, 2012. (credit:Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
2012(15 of29)
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Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Joe Biden and Jill Biden during a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Sept. 7, 2012. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
2013(16 of29)
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Jill Biden at Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2013. (credit:AFP via Getty Images)
2013(17 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden attend the Inaugural Ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2013. (credit:Michael Kovac via Getty Images)
2013(18 of29)
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Jill Biden visits Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Nov. 18, 2013. (credit:Vallery Jean via Getty Images)
2014(19 of29)
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Jill Biden and Michelle Obama at the Fort Campbell Veterans Jobs Summit and Career Forum in Clarksville, Tennessee, on April 23, 2014. (credit:Jason Davis via Getty Images)
2015(20 of29)
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Prince Harry, Michelle Obama and Jill Biden at the USO Warrior and Family Center in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, on Oct. 28, 2015. (credit:SAUL LOEB via Getty Images)
2015(21 of29)
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Jill Biden in New York City on Sept, 18, 2015. (credit:Josiah Kamau via Getty Images)
2016(22 of29)
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Jill Biden speaks at the closing ceremony for the Invictus Games in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on May 12, 2016. (credit:Chris Jackson via Getty Images)
2016(23 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden appear on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" in New York City on Oct. 12, 2016. (credit:NBC via Getty Images)
2019(24 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden during an interview with Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America" in Pittsburgh on April 30, 2019. (credit:Lorenzo Bevilaqua via Getty Images)
2020(25 of29)
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Jill Biden at a campaign event in Montgomery, Alabama, on March 2. (credit:JOSHUA LOTT via Getty Images)
2020(26 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden in Cleveland on March 10. (credit:MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images)
2020(27 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden vote in Delaware's primary election on Sept. 14. (credit:Drew Angerer via Getty Images)
2020(28 of29)
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Joe and Jill Biden at the Democratic presidential debate in Cleveland on Sept. 29. (credit:Scott Olson via Getty Images)
2020(29 of29)
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Jill Biden at a Women for Biden drive-in rally in Boca Raton, Florida, on Oct. 5. (credit:Johnny Louis via Getty Images)