Inside Kelly Clarkson's ex Brandon Blackstock's heartbreaking final days before his shock death at 48

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Brandon Blackstock, the former husband of Kelly Clarkson, spent his final months surrounded by the peace and quiet of Montana — the place he felt most 'at home.'
Following the end of their decade-long relationship, Blackstock, who once managed Clarkson's career, purchased a $1.8 million property in Butte, Montana, just weeks after their divorce was finalized in 2022.
'Brandon lived a pretty quiet life in Montana. That was how he liked it,' a source told Us Weekly. 'Even though he worked in entertainment in the past, that was not his personality. He was at home in Montana.'
Blackstock's entertainment career began with Starstruck Entertainment — the company owned by his father, Narvel Blackstock.
Later, Brandon shifted his focus to a new venture in Montana, founding Valley View Rodeo.
'He had his ranch and rodeo, but he preferred to go under the radar,' the source added. 'Some of the people who worked with him at Starstruck [Entertainment] ended up moving to Montana to work on the rodeo with him.'
According to the insider, Blackstock was still living on his ranch when his health 'took a very bad turn' over the past year.
While undergoing treatment, he made family his top priority, spending 'more [time] than ever before' with loved ones during the last six months of his life.
Although Clarkson 'was not caring for Brandon,' the source said she made sure their children had plenty of quality time with their father.
'She did spend a lot of time traveling with her kids to be with him,' the insider shared.
Blackstock passed away on Thursday, August 7, at the age of 48, after a private three-year battle with cancer.
He and Clarkson shared two children — daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington 'Remy' James, 9.
He was also father to daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth from his first marriage to Melissa Ashworth.
Savannah, who became a mother herself in 2022 when she welcomed her son Lake, 'was with him almost all the time,' the source revealed. 'She has been having an incredibly difficult time. They were very close. Everyone is in shock.'
In the months before his death, Blackstock continued to travel and stay active.
'Even a few months back he looked okay. He looked thin but he looked like himself. No one can believe it,' the insider noted.
The source emphasized that, above all, Blackstock cherished his role as a father, grandfather and was a devoted family man.
'He loved having his family with him and loved when the kids would visit,' said the source. 'He loved his animals and that was a passion he shared with his daughter Savannah.'
Blackstock and Clarkson began dating in 2012, before tying the knot in October 2013.
The former couple were married for nearly seven years before she filed for divorce in June 2020.
Earlier this week, a source told Us Weekly that Clarkson was focusing on putting her children first following their dad's death.
'It has been draining, exhausting, emotional [and] devastating,' a source told US Weekly.
'A big part of it was making her schedule available for transporting the children to visit Brandon, and all of the emotions that came with this difficult time,' the insider revealed, referencing the Stronger singer's efforts to take her children to Montana where their dad had been living.
'Kelly is a workhorse. Hard work is all she knows,' the source said of the Grammy winner's work ethic.
'She hates disappointing people, truly. The thing that kept her going was knowing how many people depend on her, like her crews and employees.'
'Her kids will come first, and she will find a way,' the source explained. 'She loves her work, but nothing compares to a situation like this.'
Amid their grief, Clarkson's former in-laws have been rallying around the children.
'Thankfully, the Blackstocks have come really close together in this time, so they would be happy to be there for the kids,' the source said.
The insider pointed out losing Blackstock as a co-parent will take its toll. 'She has family and friends, but at the end of the day, it's all on her.'
Clarkson missed 10 show tapings in March for 'personal reasons' while celebrity friends such as Brooke Shields and Andy Cohen filled in for her.
Blackstock became her manager in 2017, and negotiated lucrative deals for his wife to appear on The Voice and to host her own eponymous talk show.
However, they separated in 2020 and after a lot of ugly give and take, finalized their divorce in 2022.
'The irony is that he's had a very positive influence on her life; he made these phenomenal deals for her, and she wouldn't be here without him. But it's hard to be a manager and a husband,' an industry insider told Page Six.
'At the time, she greatly appreciated what he had done for her career,' they added.
'Everything between Kelly and Brandon was stressful and intense and, like, one match away from a powder keg going off when it came to those ongoing negotiations,' the source told the outlet.
'And trying to keep the kids stable in the midst of all that is just hugely exhausting and draining.'