Kelly Clarkson’s life has “flipped upside down” as she mourns the loss of Brandon Blackstock, her ex-husband and the father of her two children.
After “bravely” battling with a type of skin cancer called melanoma, the talent manager and former stepson of Reba McEntire passed away at the age of 48.
“This is going to stick with [Kelly] forever, it will be a long time for her to get back to the jovial Kelly we all know and love,” a source said.
Kelly Clarkson’s life has “flipped upside down” as she mourns the loss of Brandon Blackstock
Image credits: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan
Kelly has been prioritizing her children ever since her ex-husband was diagnosed with cancer.
The Breakaway singer and Brandon shared two children, River, 11, and Remington, 9. And despite a messy and painful divorce, Kelly wanted to make sure her children remained close to their father.
“The divorce was incredibly difficult for her—messy, painful and something she felt terrible about,” a source told People.
“But she always wanted her kids to have the best relationship possible with their dad. She never spoke poorly about Brandon to the kids.”
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When Brandon fell ill, the Grammy-winning singer remained “protective” of him for her children’s sake.
“Kelly has always tried to keep things classy,” the source said. “It became clear earlier this year that Brandon was not doing well. She’s been devastated for the kids.”
The talent manager passed away after being diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer
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This week, Kelly announced to her fans that she was postponing her Las Vegas residency to be “present” for her family.
“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them,” she said in an August 6 post on Instagram.
The very next day, a representative announced the news of Brandon’s passing.
Kelly announced this week that she was postponing her Las Vegas residency as her “children’s father has been ill”
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“Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years,” the statement said. “He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family.”
Following the loss of her ex-husband, Kelly went into “mom mode,” sources said.
“Kelly’s life has flipped upside down with Brandon’s cancer struggles and now d**th,” an insider told the Daily Mail.
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“She’s been blessed with an incredible career and life, but once her marriage ended and once Brandon’s health started dwindling, it has been very rough,” the source continued.
“She has always been a mother, but now she is in full ‘mom mode.’ For her kids to go through this is just absolutely devastating.”
The insider said it’s been hard for Kelly to deal with her own grief as well as help her young children cope with the loss of their father.
“She feels both a little lost and feels like she has to do everything to make it all make sense,” the source said
Image credits: The Kelly Clarkson SHow
Kelly first met Brandon in 2006 during a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards.
At the time, Brandon was married to his first wife Melissa Ashworth, with whom he shares daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth, 18.
Brandon used to work as a talent manager for Starstruck Entertainment, a firm created by his father Narvel Blackstock.
Narvel was married to Reba McEntire for 26 years and used to manage stars like Kelly and Blake Shelton before they became Brandon’s clients.
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Kelly previously spoke about the very first time she met Brandon and how she felt a connection at the 2006 rehearsal.
“I’ve only had three other boyfriends that I dated, and not really seriously,” she told People in 2013. “This guy walks by, making everybody laugh. I said, ‘I’m gonna end up with him. I know it.’”
After their first meeting, Kelly and Brandon reconnected at the 2012 Super Bowl, where she performed the national anthem. It was the same year Brandon and his first wife divorced.
“I’m gonna end up with him. I know it,” Kelly said about the first time she met Brandon, back when he was married to his first wife
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“I was so nervous … I didn’t want to suck because I was trying to impress a guy,” she said about her Super Bowl performance in a 2017 interview with SiriusXM.
She admitted that she and Brandon didn’t even know each other at the time. But she still remembered the moment he “walked past [her] once” and created “a moment in [her] crazy head.”
“He thought I hated him, too. When I finally confessed that, ‘I really dig you,’ He was so shocked because he thought I hated him. I hadn’t let on that I liked him. Inside I was like, ‘Ask me out!’ but outside I was like, ‘I love being single and coming home every night alone. It’s awesome.’”
The American Idol winner used to think she was asexual until she met Brandon
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In the same interview, the Since U Been Gone singer admitted she never felt “s***ally attracted to anybody” before Brandon.
“There was something about him,” she recalled. “I honestly thought I was asexual—I’d never been turned on like that in my whole life.”
The couple began dating in February 2012 and tied the knot in October 2013. After welcoming two children, Kelly filed for divorce in 2020, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
During their split, they clashed over their finances, property, and child custody until their divorce was finalized in 2022. Kelly was ordered to pay $115,000 per month in spousal support until January 2024 and a sum of $45,600 in child support per month.
Image credits: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
In spite of a difficult divorce, Kelly helped take care of Brandon as he battled melanoma and was absent from The Kelly Clarkson Show in February and March.
“It’s been exhausting and so sad… ” a source told Page Six following his passing. “Kelly has been working so hard, as well as looking after Brandon. Despite their difficult divorce, he’s still the man she loved and still her kids’ father.”
Brandon’s eldest child Savannah announced that she was pregnant just weeks before her father’s passing
Image credits: Savannah Lee
Just a month before Brandon’s passing, his daughter Savannah happily shared that she was pregnant.
The 23-year-old Florida-based realtor took to Instagram to share “a couple sweet surprises” with her audience.
Image credits: Savannah Lee
“One little girl will be making her arrival at the beginning of January and another beautiful girl named Julianna who has already been one of the greatest blessings to our family,” she said.
She also shares 3-year-old son Lake with husband Quentin Lee.
“This is honoring her vows even after divorce,” one commented online about Kelly’s relationship with Brandon
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