Kelly Clarkson opened up the 2018 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night (May 20), asking the MGM Grand Garden Arena to opt for "a moment of action" instead of a moment of silence in reference to the 10 people that were killed at Santa Fe High School after a 17-year-old student went on a shooting rampage with a shotgun and a pistol.
"So sorry," the American Idol alum said at the beginning of the broadcast, holding back tears in her eyes. "I'm a Texas girl and my home state has had so many tragedies this past year. And once again, y’all, we’re grieving for more kids that have died for absolutely no reason at all. . . I’m so sick of ‘moment of silence.’ It’s not working. Like, obviously. Sorry. Why don’t we not do a moment of silence? Why don’t we do a moment of action? Why don’t we do a moment of change? Why don’t we change what is happening? Because it’s horrible."
At the end of her speech, Clarkson said that parents should be able to send their children to schools, church, movie theaters or clubs without worrying that they might never return. "We need to do better. Some people are failing our children," the show host added. Scroll on below to watch her opening monologue in full.
Stay tuned for even more from the Clarkson-hosted ceremony, which will see Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran, and Bruno Mars vie for titles in 15 different categories. Click here for our coverage on the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, including a full up-to-date list of winners and performance recaps from the Las Vegas ceremony!
Photo: Getty Images