Reba McEntire's connection to Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's late ex, explained
The singer, 70, was married to Blackstock's dad, Narvel, 68, from 1989 to 2015.
The exes share one son, race car driver Shelby.
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12 Brandon Blackstock poses with his family.
shelbyblackstock/Instagram
Narvel shares Blackstock, Chassidy, and Shawna with his ex-wife, Elisa Gayle Ritter.
In 2010, McEntire told The Boot, 'I don't consider Brandon, Chassidy and Shawna [Blackstock] stepchildren. I claim them all.'
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Blackstock died at age 48 on August 7 after a private cancer battle.
12 Shelby Blackstock shares pictures from a family outing.
shelbyblackstock/Instagram
In March, McEntire and Blackstock got together, along with his daughter Savannah, who's in her 20s, her husband and kids, and stepbrother Shelby, 35, and other relatives.
'Family time, the @rodeohouston, & corn dogs! We had a blast in Houston watching @rissablackstock experience her first rodeo & being able to spend cherished time with family! Mom's concert was the icing on the cake!' the race car driver captioned his Instagram post.
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After her first divorce from wrestling champion Charlie Battles in 1979, McEntire struck up a romance with Narvel, who was her tour manager. The two co-founded Starstruck Entertainment in 1988 and married soon after.
12 Shelby Blackstock, Reba McEntire, Brandon Blackstock, Savannah Blackstock and family at the rodeo.
shelbyblackstock/Instagram
McEntire and Narvel announced their separation after 26 years of marriage in a statement shared on her website in 2015.
'Despite this being the end of their marriage, they continue to support each other,' the message read. 'They have worked together for 35 years and will continue to do so. They have asked that you respect their privacy during this time.'
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Narvel ended up with a whopping $47.5 million divorce settlement, while McEntire got total control of the management of her career, according to Us Weekly.
12 Pictures from the Blackstock family outing.
shelbyblackstock/Instagram
During a 2024 appearance on 'The Drew Barrymore Show,' McEntire revealed her relationship with her ex was anything but romantic.
'It was a situation that was always business,' she confessed. 'Whether we were getting ready in the morning, pillow talk, whatever, but it was business.'
Blackstock, meanwhile, was married to Kelly Clarkson from 2013 to 2022. They share kids River, 11, and Remy, 9. Narvel was originally the singer's manager, but Blackstock took over after they tied the knot.
12 Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire in 2014.
Jason Merritt
In 2018, three years after McEntire and Narvel split, she shared where she stood with her stepson's kids.
'I don't ever see the grandkids,' the actress admitted during an interview with People. 'It was a lot better when everybody was not so busy, but I've got seven grandchildren, so they're scattered all over the country and busy doing stuff. But I love them.'
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Two years later, McEntire, who found love again in 2020 with actor Rex Linn, weighed in on Clarkson, 43, filing for divorce from Blackstock in 2020.
12 Narvel Blackstock and Reba McEntire attend the 2014 American Country Countdown Awards.
Christopher Polk
The 'I'm a Survivor' artist revealed that her own split from Narvel never changed her relationship with the late star.
'Brandon's been my son forever, it seems,' she told Entertainment Tonight at the time. 'Although he's my stepson, I still love him like he's my total — my blood, so I'm praying for them both because I love them both.'
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In December 2023, McEntire shared that her happiness stems from all members of her family.
'I'm at a really good place in my life,' she gushed to People. 'I'm happy, I'm in love. My kids are all healthy. My family's healthy. So I'm happy.'
12 Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire.
MJT/AdMedia / SplashNews.com
McEntire and Clarkson stayed thick as thieves during their breakups from their respective husbands.
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In 2019, the 'You Lie' songstress came on 'The Kelly Clarkson Show,' where Clarkson told her, 'I ended up marrying your oldest son and you got stuck with me more.'
McEntire sweetly responded, 'Thank goodness, thank goodness.'
Then, in 2023, they both appeared on Season 23 of 'The Voice.' McEntire served as a mega mentor alongside Clarkson, who was a judge.
12 Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson.
Getty Images for FIJI Water
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Meanwhile, in June 2023, Clarkson appeared on 'Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen' and confirmed McEntire's sentiment.
'We were friends before [Brandon and I] even got together. I think we're both women of sound mind that know that life doesn't work out sometimes. I mean, well, she would know best,' she teased. 'It's literally the same thing. So, yeah, no hard feelings there, just feelings.'
When it came to her relationship with Blackstock, things were more complicated.
12 Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson at the 2017 American Music Awards.
Getty Images for dcp
In November 2020, Clarkson was awarded temporary primary physical custody of River and Remy.
According to court documents, 'the level of conflict between the parents [had] increased' and that they had 'a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them.'
A month later, Clarkson alleged that Blackstock acted fraudulently as her manager. He denied defrauding his estranged wife out of millions.
12 Kelly Clarkson gives Brandon Blackstock a kiss.
WireImage
In March 2022, a judge approved the exes' divorce settlement, granting Blackstock $115,000 each month in spousal support until January 2024. The talent manager also received a monthly amount of $45,600 in child support.
The mom-of-two also said to Entertainment Tonight that the 'thing that's been kind of hard to navigate is I am an open book, but at some point I'm a mama bear more than I am a person in the public eye.'
Clarkson added, 'So I care 100% more about my children than I do anything else on this planet.'
12 Narvel Blackstock, singers Reba McEntire, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock.
Michael Buckner
'The Kelly Clarkson Show' eventually relocated from Los Angeles to New York City in 2023, with the host bringing her children with her.
'The move to NYC was a fresh start for her that she has never regretted,' an insider told People in 2024. 'She had not been happy in Los Angeles for a while but was still nervous about moving. It was the best decision for her though. They thrive as a family.'
Blackstock, meanwhile, resided in Butte, Mont., after moving out of the family's original Montana ranch.
On Thursday, news of Blackstock's passing broke, with sources telling TMZ he had melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer.
12 Reba McEntire, Warner Music Nashville's President and CEO John Espositio, Blake Shelton, Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson attend Warner Music Group Grammy Celebration.
Getty Images for InStyle
'It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,' his family said in a statement obtained by The Post read.
'He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time,' they concluded.
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