Sterling K. Brown Moves Kelly Clarkson to Tears With Heartfelt Story Behind His Name

Sterling K. Brown, known for bringing audiences to tears on screen in This Is Us, did it again — this time in real life — during an emotional moment on The Kelly Clarkson Show. While promoting his Hulu series Paradise, the Emmy-winning actor opened up about the deeply personal reason he stopped going by his middle name at age 16.

Brown revealed that he was originally known as Kelby, his middle name, for much of his early life. The change came five years after the tragic loss of his father, Sterling Brown Jr., when Brown was just 10 years old.

“I wanted my own name and it felt like Sterling was an old man’s name,” he explained. “But by the time I turned 16 and I hadn’t heard his name for 5, 5½ years, I was like… I kinda just want to hear that name again.”

“So I asked people to call me Sterling.”

The touching tribute to his father visibly moved Kelly Clarkson, who was seen tearing up as she took in the story.

“That was so sweet and beautiful,” Clarkson told him, her voice emotional.

Clarkson Relates With Her Own Son

The moment struck an even deeper chord for Clarkson, who shared that her 8-year-old son Remington had recently done something similar at a red carpet event.

“He said, ‘Remington Alexander,’ and used his middle name as his last name,” she explained, noting the name was different from the surname he shares with his father, Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.

“He changed his name right in front of me. I said, is this your stage name?”

A Legacy Through Loss

Brown has spoken before about the profound impact of losing his father at a young age. In a 2019 interview, he recalled the vivid details of that heartbreaking day and how it changed the course of his life. His father, only 45 at the time, died from a diabetes-induced heart attack.

“I felt like I had to be the man of the house,” he said. “I had to keep it together for my mom.”

Despite the early trauma, Brown has become a symbol of strength, vulnerability, and emotional depth — both in his acting and in his life. His story about reclaiming his father’s name is more than a gesture — it’s a powerful act of remembrance and healing.