Kelly Clarkson Makes First Public Appearance Since Divorce Filing for Charity Event Performance

The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson made her first public appearance since filing for divorce from estranged husband Brandon Blackstock on June 4. Clarkson participated in Project Angel Food’s telethon on Saturday night virtually, along with several other celebrities. Clarkson performed a cover of U2’s “Still Haven’t Found What I looked For,” helping the telethon raise $697,000 for Project Angel Food’s efforts to help those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Los Angeles-based organization cooks and delivers food for those in need. The event aired live on KTLA and was hosted by anchor Jessica Holmes, Will & Grace star Eric McCormack and Tony nominee Sheryl Lee Ralph. They exceeded the original goal to raise $500,000. Other stars who took part included Elton John, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marie Osmond, Pauley Perrette, John Goodman, Olivia Newton-John and Kelly Osbourne.

In her segment, Clarkson thanked Project Angel Food for their hard work in Los Angeles. “You’ve kept the doors open for people who are most vulnerable to the virus, those who are older and those who are struggling with life-threatening illness,” Clarkson said, reports PEOPLE. “Because of you they’ve never had to miss a meal. You’ve worked your tails off every single day to make that happen. It’s a really beautiful thing.” Clarkson went on to dedicate her song to the organization and asked them to “keep leading in love.”

The public appearance came a day after Clarkson won her first Emmy Award. On Friday night, she picked up a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host for The Kelly Clarkson Show. Although she could not pick up the award in person, she thanked Blackstock on Twitter “for believing in me & convincing me to do” the show. Blackstock serves as an executive producer on the series, which was also nominated for Oustanding Entertainment Talk Show.

Clarkson filed for divorce earlier this month after almost seven years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple are parents to daughter River Rose, 6, and son Remington Alexander, 4. They were quarantining together at their Montana ranch, so Clarkson listed “TBD” as the separation date. Blackstock also has children from a previous marriage – son Seth, 13, and daughter Savannah, 18.

The couple were reportedly struggling before the coronavirus pandemic and thought quarantining together outside Los Angeles would help. However, a source told PEOPLE that did not work out as quarantining has only “exacerbated any issues” they had before. The source described the past few months as a “stressful time” for the former couple.