TORONTO - While celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was allegedly mixing it up with members of the Black Eyed Peas camp following the MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday night, MMVA performer Kelly Clarkson was fast asleep in her Toronto hotel room.

The reason?

The 27-year-old Texan cutie threw out her neck at an earlier Toronto video shoot for Already Gone, the latest single from her fourth album, All I Ever Wanted, released back in March. So Clarkson just did the MMVA red carpet and performed her hit song, My Life Would Suck Without You, on the awards show, getting by on a half a pain-killer pill, before decamping back to her hotel.

"I was kind of a party pooper," said Clarkson, who shot the video at The Carlu in Toronto with director Joseph Kahn who also was responsible for lensing her earlier shot-in-Toronto clip, Hazel Eyes.

"I couldn't move the day after ... I was kind of worried so they got me some pain medication for my neck because I couldn't move it to the right. And so I was like, 'I have to perform! How am I going to do that?'

"So what's funny is I took the pain medication which made me feel completely fine, like it took the pain away. But then I was jumping around on stage because I felt fine, it's like a band-aid and you don't realize you're hurting it.

"So right after the show (the pill) set in and I was like, 'Oh, I got to go.' "

So naturally then the Season 1 American Idol winner, who has sold over 10 million albums, was nowhere near all the drama that allegedly unfolded outside the Universal Music party at Cobra nightclub in Toronto.

The Black Eyed Peas manager has since been charged with one count of assault.

Still, given Hilton's penchant for bitchiness on his celebrity gossip website, Clarkson wasn't surprised something like this finally happened.

"What's funny to me -- is that shocking?" Clarkson said. "Like he's said so many hurtful things about people. Somebody said he'd said something hurtful about (Black Eyed Peas singer) Fergie."

Clarkson had no idea whether or not she's been a target on Hilton's website herself and she doesn't read any of her press -- good or bad.

"Either you're going to be egotistical, because they're going to blow so much steam (up your you know what), or you're going to want to crawl in a hole and die," Clarkson summed up.

She did confirm that she's recently been complaining in the press that all the lingering lesbian rumours about her have hurt her dating chances with men.

"I know that's not helping me!" she said. "I think it's just, like, I'm single and in the public eye a lot, I don't date famous people.

"I don't know. Honestly, I don't care. I'm kind of flattered. Because I do get hit on by a lot of girls and I think it's flattering. I'm like, 'Oh, my God, I'm completely flattered, but I happen to swing for the other team -- so I can't help that.'

"My whole joke is, 'You people are not helping me at all because no guy is going to approach me if they think I'm a lesbian.' "

Up next immediately for Clarkson is a summer fair tour in the U.S. followed by a proper trek with full production in the fall of 5,000-6,000-seat theatres that will include some dates in Canada.

She said she watched the current season of American Idol and sees no end in sight for the franchise.

"I'm a nerd, I totally love watching the show. I love watching all those dance shows. If I'm at home and have something on while I'm cleaning or something, I totally watch So You Think You Can Dance. I like seeing everyday people go and audition for stuff. But other than that I watch NCIS -- that's my show."

Still, she wouldn't pick a favourite between the rockier, flashier Adam Lambert who was runner-up and the more low-key Kris Allen who won.

"I've got to be honest with you," Clarkson said. "I met them once when I was on the show and I don't know enough about them. I don't know enough about their music.

"The only time I heard (Lambert) sing was when he performed the entire song in falsetto -- but I thought that was so cool."

Her life would suck to dress up

So what's the deal with Kelly Clarkson performing My Life Would Suck Without You in the casual attire of scarf top, long jeans and bare feet at the MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday night?

Turns out that's how Clarkson rolls.

"That's very normal for me," she said. "In seven years I don't think I've done one performance that's not in jeans ripped up with frayed stuff on the end and a shirt. I mean, it depends on what song. That song is a very fun summer song and the fans are all jumping around and it's hot outside. So I kind of dressed to the occasion, I guess. But on the red carpet I wore a dress."

However, in her just shot-in-Toronto video for her latest single, Already Gone, she definitely dolls it up.

"We were calling it my 'diva' video because I've never really done a video in a gown and jewelry -- it's very glam," Clarkson said.