Family's Adoption Story Moves Kelly Clarkson And Octavia Spencer To Tears

Stepdad formally asks stepdaughter if he can adopt her in an emotional episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show

Ever since Kelly Clarkson debuted her new talk show, she’s become the go-to queen for a feel-good daytime human interest story. Kelly is so warm and has such a big heart that she’s the perfect person to share heartfelt, emotional, and uplifting stories with, which is why one family turned to her for their big adoption surprise.

A stepdad named Anthony had been raising his now 18-year-old stepdaughter Briana since she was 3-years-old, and on her 18th birthday, Anthony, his wife Tiffany, and their three kids sat on Kelly’s couch and Anthony surprised Briana with a question he’d been meaning to ask her for 15 years: Would you like me to adopt you?

Tiffany told the story of how she and Anthony met 15 years ago at a friend’s wedding and how Tiffany brought her then 3-year-old daughter along on her and Anthony’s first date. There was not a dry eye in the whole place when Tiffany brought out the photos from that very first date.

When Anthony finally proposed to Tiffany, little Briana said, “now I finally have a daddy” and Kelly and fellow show guest Octavia Spencer burst into tears.

Anthony went on to raise Briana and wanted to formally adopt her years ago, but because Briana was under 18 and Tiffany feared that Briana’s biological father, who was not in his daughter’s life, may come forward to complicate the issue — the family decided to wait until Briana was 18.

So on Briana’s 18th birthday, the family went on Kelly’s talk show and told the kids that they were only being profiled for being a blended family, when Anthony surprised his stepdaughter with the big news.

“On your 18th birthday in front of God and everybody, I’d love nothing more than to make it official and adopt you,” Anthony said to his daughter, who immediately started crying and nodding “yes!”

Kelly, who told the family that her own biological father was not in her life, and Octavia, who lost both her parents when she was very young, were emotional throughout the interview, with Octavia saying that she was stunned and overwhelmed that this girl knew from such a young age that “he was your dad.”

Aside from the family’s own sweet story, Clarkson’s reaction is possibly the best part. She’s genuinely moved by the family and knowing she’s estranged from her own father makes her reaction all the more understandable — and poignant.

This entire segment is simply too beautiful for words. Much happiness to the whole family.