Kelly Clarkson's Ex Brandon Blackstock Dead At 48 After Lengthy Cancer Battle

Yahoo

a day ago

Kelly Clarkson's family emergency has turned into a family tragedy!
The singer's former husband, and father of her kids, Brandon Blackstock, is now dead after a lengthy battle with cancer, barely 24 hours after Clarkson announced a cancellation of the remaining shows in her ongoing Las Vegas residency due to his illness.
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock were married from 2013 to 2020 before going their separate ways. They were parents to two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander, during the nearly seven-year union.
Kelly Clarkson's Ex Brandon Blackstock Battled Cancer For 'More Than 3 Years'
A representative from the Blackstock family confirmed that the singer's former husband and manager succumbed to his cancer fight today, Thursday, August 7, 2025. He was reportedly surrounded by his family and loved ones after fighting the deadly illness for over three years.
Clarkson broke her silence on the manager's illness just yesterday when she informed fans about her decision to reschedule the rest of the shows to be by his side and their kids.
In addition to his children from the marriage to Clarkson, the late Blackstock is also father to two kids, Savannah and Seth, from a previous marriage. His eldest child, Savannah, gave birth to his first grandchild in 2022.
The singer and her late husband met for the first time at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006 while he was married to his ex, Melissa Ashworth, per PEOPLE.
Inside The Performer's Series Of Show Cancellations Due To Ex's Illness
Before her announcement on Instagram yesterday, where she profusely apologized for rescheduling yet another set of shows for her Vegas residency, the star had also taken a step back from her talk show for an extended period.
As reported by the outlet, the performer was absent from several episodes of "The Kelly Clarkson Show" earlier in the year, reportedly due to her husband's sickness.
While the singer vacated the host seat for the show, her colleagues, including Roy Wood Jr, Simu Liu, Wanda Skyes, Josh Groban, and Brooke Shields, filled in as guest hosts.
As soon as the media personality returned, she marked the program's 1,000th episode, which featured celebrities like Tyler Perry, Alicia Vikander, and popular Venezuelan actor, Mauy Ricky.
The star also had to shift both opening dates of her Vegas residency forward in early July to prevent her vocal cords from suffering further trauma as the rehearsals took a toll on her voice.
The shows have reportedly now been postponed to July and August 2026, planned to take place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
The Former Couple's Romantic Journey
Sparks flew in Clarkson's heart when she set eyes on the music manager for the first time, as she later admitted in an interview in 2013 that when he walked past her, making everybody laugh, she knew they were meant for each other.
"Literally, I'm not joking, he walked past us at that time. And he walked by, I was ready to take it all off. I just felt something," she said of their first meeting in a 2017 interview, where she explained that her guitar player's wife was her date for the night.
Their relationship finally became official in 2012, after Clarkson performed the national anthem at a game with Blackstock in attendance. The pair went on their first date in February 2012, and by the end of the year, they were engaged to be married.
The intimate proposal happened at their Nashville home, shortly after Clarkson praised him for loving her properly in a way no one had ever done.
The Duo Shared A Productive Professional Relationship
While they were married, the singer credited her husband for a chunk of her career growth, including the birth of her talk show, which was his brilliant idea. She confessed in 2019 that working on the idea he pitched brought them together in completely new ways.
She reflected on how they share a similar temperament and also navigate their dynamics as spouses at work. Clarkson praised her husband for his great work ethic and commitment to getting the best out of anything.
Blackstock became Clarkson's manager after their wedding, a decision the singer took after seeing how he treated Blake Shelton, whom he managed at the time Clarkson met him.
"And the way that [Blake's] career has blown up, I would have hired Brandon regardless. He's really talented at what he does, and his mind really does work in a completely different way," Clarkson shared.
Inside Kelly Clarkson And Brandon Blackstock's Bitter Divorce
By 2020, things had gone awry between the couple during the time in quarantine on their Montana ranch. Their time together failed to salvage their marriage, which was already experiencing tension.
A source had shared at the time that they were hoping the time away from their time away from Los Angeles was what their marriage needed. The Blast reported that the reverse was the case as soon as Clarkson returned to L.A., she beelined it to court to file for divorce.
The star demanded joint custody of their two kids and asked for an enforcement of their prenuptial agreement, which specified how to handle their community assets and finances.
May Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock's family find strength to navigate these trying times.