Kelly Clarkson's split from Brandon Blackstock may not have been as sudden as it seemed.

The "American Idol" alum shocked the world and those close to her when it was revealed that she filed for divorce from Blackstock, her husband of almost seven years. However, as with most things, everything is not as it seems, and despite looking like a normal, happy, and healthy couple on the outside, they were having some serious marital woes that came to a head as the world went on shutdown to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"It was a stressful time," an insider told People. "[Quarantining in Montana] exacerbated any issues."

"Things had changed in their marriage and the split was a while coming," another source said. "They both work so hard. It's nearly impossible to enjoy each other, especially with the children needing constant attention."

"Kelly's been through a lot, and she thought Brandon was her happily ever after," they added. "It's very sad."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Clarkson recently opened up about life in quarantine with her husband and their four children -- 6-year-old daughter River Rose and 4-year-old son Remington Alexander, who they share, and 15-year-old daughter Savannah and 13-year-old son Seth, Blackstock's teenage children from a previous marriage. She discussed the difficulties during an interview on the British web series "Glamour Unfiltered," released on Tuesday.

"Honestly, I have been [on] an emotional roller coaster. This has been really hard as a working parent because I'm still doing all the same jobs," the 38-year-old singer spilled. "It's been exhausting honestly. Plus, cooking every meal and cleaning nonstop after toddlers and teenagers."

"I've definitely had to tell people that I work with, 'You hired a mom and I'm not an absentee mom. I'm a full-on mom,'" she added. "I already have abandonment issues, so I don't want to pass those down."

Clarkson and Blackstock shared almost a decade of their lives together before "The Voice" coach filed for divorce on June 4. They began dating in 2012 and married in October 2013.

Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson attends the 25th Annual Critics' Choice Awards at Barker Hangar on Jan. 12, 2020 in Santa Monica, California. Taylor Hill/Getty Images