Kelly Clarkson addresses delayed Las Vegas residency during opening night: ‘I’m so sorry’

Piece by piece, Kelly Clarkson is ready to kick off her Las Vegas residency.

The singer, 43, was meant to start her “Kelly Clarkson: Studio Sessions – The Las Vegas Residency” at Caesars Palace on Friday, July 4, but had to postpone the shows hours before opening night.

On Friday, July 11, Clarkson addressed the last-minute cancellation and apologized to fans.

“It took me a minute. I’m so sorry,” she told the crowd in a video posted to TikTok. “I know some of y’all had tickets for last weekend’s shows. I’m so sorry. We can’t help our bodies sometimes. You know, we get sick, and that happens.”

“But thank y’all for showing up,” Clarkson continued. “We are so excited. This is my favorite residency – my favorite show I’ve ever put together, because I love being in the studio. That’s where this whole idea came from.”

Last weekend, the “American Idol” winner explained why she had to delay her shows.

“We have been working 24/7 to make Studio Sessions the most intimate and extraordinary experience with and for my incredible fans,” Clarkson wrote in a statement on Instagram. “I am beyond grateful that you always show up for me and I am devastated to have to postpone tonight and tomorrow’s opening at Caesars. The prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice.”

The Grammy winner noted that she wants “the shows to be perfect for y’all and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage so I am taking this weekend and next week to rest up so that we can deliver what you all deserve.”

“The show is truly incredible,” gushed Clarkson. “The musicians and singers are outstanding, and I want us all to start out strong. I can’t wait to be back next weekend and show y’all what we’ve been working on.”

The “Kelly Clarkson Show” host is set to perform in a total of 18 shows until November 15.

Some fans were disappointed by the news, while others understood.

One social media user commented, “I’m a huge fan and flew here from Boston spending thousands on tickets and hotels to see your show tomorrow for my 40th birthday. I really want you to be healthy but cancelling this late has such a huge financial impact on your loyal fans.”

A second follower added, “When you ACTUALLY sing live, you are allowed this grace. Rest that incredible instrument.”

Days later, sources claimed that behind-the-scenes drama ensued following her cancellation.

An insider alleged that Clarkson’s crew was kept “completely in the dark,” telling The Sun, “Everyone working behind the scenes was in complete shock. They woke up Friday expecting a normal day of work and began their day like always.”

The source shared that the workers weren’t told that the show wasn’t happening until they were well into the work day.

They claimed that Clarkson has “definitely lost the respect and confidence” of those “who worked their a– off” for her shows.

“The crew was setting up like normal and bam, it hit,” the insider stated. “Fans crying about wasting thousands of dollars, fans who flew from outside of the country to see Kelly for the first time.”

As they put it, “She doesn’t realize the depth of how much she let people down and most of them were crying they can’t afford to come back another weekend.”