Reba McEntire Praises Kelly Clarkson: ‘She’s a Girl With a Big Heart’

It's always nice to have your mother-in-law in your corner, especially when she happens to be Reba McEntire. After Kelly Clarkson complained that other artists don't want to collaborate with her, her mother-in-law McEntire rose to her defense.

"I'm very proud of her," McEntire tells AOL.com. "She's a girl with a big heart. Very giving, loving and talented. Everybody knows she's talented, but sometimes they don't see that big-hearted, loving person that she really is. And I'm so happy for her, I've never seen her happier than she is right now."

Clarkson recently revealed to BBC Radio 1 that she has approached numerous other artists about potential collaborations, "but everyone usually says no." However, on Twitter, she says that she was only joking.

In advance of the release of her new album, Piece By Piece, on March 3, Clarkson has been revealing some of the record's material, including tracks written by Sia and featuring John Legend.

McEntire says that she is willing to let the 32-year-old Clarkson fight her own battles, but McEntire also acknowledges that she will step in if her help is needed.

"She's always been able to defend herself and take up for herself," McEntire says. "But if there's any slack needed to be taken up, I'll be there for her in a heartbeat."

Clarkson wed McEntire's stepson, Brandon Blackstock, in 2013. The couple welcomed their first child, River Rose, in June of 2014.

“I’ve never been truly loved like I am right now,” Clarkson says. "We both wrote our own vows, and it was hard to get through them, but I did it … It was very sweet. The whole thing was perfect.”

Clarkson's debut single from Piece by Piece, "Heartbeat Song," is already in the Top 40 and climbing.

“It’s an uplifting record. I’ve always been a person about empowerment and doing empowering songs,” the singer says of the new project. “There’s empowering songs on the record, and there’s a lot of positive on there.”

Pre-order Piece by Piece here.

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