Lionel Richie Jokingly ‘Healed’ Kelly Clarkson After the Singers Discussed Grief

Lionel Richie has left Kelly Clarkson speechless with this mic-drop moment.

During the Thursday, Oct. 2 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the “Dancing on the Ceiling” singer and American Idol winner spoke about grief and how they can overcome it.

“I do think a lot of people deal with grief in such a different way, but I love that you say, ‘Grief is the great teacher of what matters most,'” Clarkson, 43, mused of a line from Richie’s memoir, Truly.

“And I think, no matter how you deal with grief, it is very different for everyone. But I do find that very, very true. How did you figure that out?”

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Richie, 76, referenced an old expression: that grief is “real.”

“It’s a real moment where you can’t phone it in, but at the same time, we rehearse things. You can’t rehearse grief,” he explained. “You can’t rehearse the loss of your mother or your father or a friend. You can’t rehearse that.”

“It hits you in waves,” Clarkson agreed.

“And so, what I found is that when I get involved with the word uncontrollable grief, I let go,” added Richie. “Believe it or not, I look forward to finding out who am I going to be really [because] that’s the real me.”

“If you hurt so badly, that means you love so deeply,” he concluded, which Clarkson reflected on briefly. “Aw, s—,” she said.

“Hold on, I can save you, don’t worry,” the “Brick House” singer said, before jumping out of his seat to place his hand on Clarkson’s forehead, miming an exorcism. Both laughed, and Clarkson threw up her hands, declaring, “I feel healed.”

Clarkson’s ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, died of malignant melanoma in August. The former couple shared two children: daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, 9.

Per an official description of Truly, “Lionel revisits hilarious and harrowing events to inspire all who doubt themselves or feel their dreams don’t matter” in the memoir.

Richie “chronicles lessons learned during his unlikely story of remarkable success—his dramatic transformation from painfully shy, “tragically” late bloomer to world-class entertainer and composer of love songs that have played as the soundtrack of our lives.”

Truly is available for purchase wherever books are sold.