Who is Justin Guarini? Kelly Clarkson admits she secretly dated fellow 'American Idol' contestant for months
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: During a recent interview, Kelly Clarkson revealed she dated an 'American Idol' contestant. Kelly recently spoke on the 'La Culturistas' show about her secret romance with Justin Guarini.
Kelly used the episode to promote the release of her next album, 'Chemistry,' and to talk about her messy divorce from her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. She filed for divorce in June 2020, claiming irreconcilable differences, but the result was chaos and a legal battle over marital assets. Two years later, the former couple divorced, and the Grammy winner was forced to pay her spouse nearly $1.3 million in alimony as well as $45,601 per month in child support. However, in a recent podcast interview, she revealed that she was secretly dating her 'American Idol' co-star Justin.
Who is Justin Guarini?
More than two decades ago, the first season of 'American Idol' decided on two contestants - Kelly and Justin. Of course, Kelly eventually triumphed and catapulted to international fame, but Justin also had his moments in the spotlight. He starred alongside Kelly in the film 'From Justin to Kelly,' though their careers have since diverged.
Kelly has been in the public eye with successful songs and more recently a talk show, but you may not have seen Justin in years - or at least you think you have. He actually starred in a successful commercial and is still a singer and actor. You may have seen Justin over the years without realizing it. He appears in the Diet Dr Pepper commercial as the character Lil Sweet, who sings the phrase "It's the sweet one" After participating in 'American Idol,' Justin recorded two studio albums, 'Justin Guarini' (2003) and 'Stranger Things Have Happened' (2005), as well as two EPs, 'Revolve' and 'JG' (2008 and 2016).
In his post-Idol career, Justin has been in a number of Broadway musicals and plays. According to NYC Go, he turned down a position in 'The Lion King' to audition for 'American Idol,' but he ultimately made his Broadway debut in 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' eight years later. He has also appeared in 'American Idiot,' 'Wicked,' and 'Romeo and Juliet' since then.
Justin directed a musical for the first time in 2021. On the launch of the program 'Next Big Hit,' he collaborated with Pace University musical theater students. And he was well-versed on the subject. Justin has also published a book named 'Audition Secrets' and teaches actors about auditioning, including via his Instagram account.
Justin married Reina Capodici in 2009. The couple has two children, William, 11 years old, and Asher, 9 years old. He's also the stepfather of Capodici's former relationship's daughter, Lola.
'We experienced something very intense'
Justin and Kelly were the top two contestants on the first season of 'American Idol' in 2002, from which Kelly eventually emerged as the winner. They starred in the 2003 musical film 'From Justin to Kelly,' in which they played college students who fall in love with each other.
While the two were rivals who became friends, the Grammy-winning performer revealed they had taken their friendship to the next level after filming the film. "We didn't date during, we dated after," Kelly revealed when one host inquired about their relationship during the production of 'From Justin to Kelly.'
"It was, like, months, but it was just like - and I think we'd probably both say this - we just were around each other all the time. We're here, you're here, I'm here, and we experienced something very intense. It wasn't like I won, and I was the only one on the promo. Justin and I went around everywhere." The host stated that the relationship was kept private since she and Justin did not "kiss and tell people."
"It wasn't like we were like, 'Oh don't tell people,' I don't remember ever having that conversation," she stated. In terms of her career, Kelly stated that she went on to shoot "that horrible film" because she was "contractually obligated."
The 'Breakaway' hitmaker also revealed that she bawled in an attempt to get out of making the movie, partly because her objective was to never be an actress and the job was imposed upon her after winning 'American Idol.' Kelly has been making the rounds on podcasts recently, most notably on the 'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend' show last week.