It has been announced that Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, has died at the age of 48.
A representative confirmed the news in a statement to People following the talent manager’s secret cancer diagnosis.
Clarkson, 43, cancelled dates in her Las Vegas residency ahead of the news to ‘be fully present’ with her children.
‘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 wrote on social media. ‘I appreciate your grace, kindness, and understanding.’
Blackstock once served as Clarkson’s manager before the couple wed, divorcing in 2022 after a protracted legal battle.
He also previously worked with the likes of Blake Shelton and Clarkson, and was also the former stepson of Reba McEntire.
When did Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock get married?
Clarkson and Blackstock began dating in 2012 before tying the knot in 2013.
The country singer first met her ex-husband in 2006 at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
After 10 months together, Blackstock proposed, and they wed in October 2013 at Blackberry in Tennessee.
The Stronger hitmaker confirmed the nuptials with a photo from her big day on Twitter as she wrote: ‘I’m officially Mrs. Blackstock :).’
Clarkson’s mother, Jeanne Taylor, told Celebuzz her daughter had been so overwhelmed she decided to elope – but was worried about hurting her family’s feelings.
‘She was so afraid we might be upset. But we were fine with it. I had known that she was under a lot of stress. And we just wanted her to be happy and not stressed out,’ she said.
‘I think the biggest thing for us to do was to allow her to do what she wanted to do.’
Clarkson previously told E! News that she and Blackstock had decided against having a ‘big, huge’ wedding.
‘We’re just gonna go off with the kids and go get married,’ she said. ‘It’s just gonna be literally, seriously small.’
When did they get divorced?
After being married for seven years, the couple decided to call it quits in 2020 and finalised their divorce in 2022.
Though both parties reached a confidential settlement, the saga had dragged on for years.
The separation proved bitter to say the least, with court battles over property, child support, and spousal support just some of the issues that faced the warring couple.
In March 2023, Clarkson was awarded $2.6million in a dispute over improper commissions paid to Blackstock, after a California ruling found that he had secured deals that should have gone through her licensed talent agents at CAA.
A suit filed by Clarkson reportedly stated her ex-husband had secured major deals, including The Voice, and took fees in return; three out of four deals secured by Blackstock were ruled to be unlawful and should have been conducted by Clarkson’s agents.
It stated Blackstock was paid almost $2 million in commission for helping secure her role as a coach on The Voice, with the other funds coming from a promotional deal with NCL, a collaboration with Wayfair, and as part of her multi-year contract as the host of the Billboard Music Awards.
In a January 2024 conversation with People, Clarkson described the split as ‘extraordinarily hard.’
‘You feel alone,’ she said, ‘and it’s just a blessing to be able to have that outlet for those emotions that are overwhelming,’ referencing her confessional album Chemistry, which explores heartbreak.
Do they have children?
Clarkson shares two children – daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, nine – with Blackstock.
On a March 2025 episode of Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast, Clarkson opened up about the emotional toll of co-parenting, revealing how her children seem to give more leeway to their father when he’s absent.
‘Even from a young age, we didn’t teach them, just innately you’re like . . . he’s allowed to be somewhere, but you’re not?’ she said. ‘That is like real interesting.’
She added, with a touch of sarcasm: ‘Co-parenting is fun! It’s like, “Oh, he couldn’t come cause of this.” I’m like, “OK, cool. What! Do you think I just leave and just sit in the park all day?”‘
Speaking to the We Can Do Hard Things podcast, Clarkson previously said her children had hoped she and Blackstock would reconcile.
‘Your kids will still have a hard time,’ she began. ‘It doesn’t matter if you stay, it doesn’t matter if you go, I am still having conversations [with my kids] three years later.
‘My kids just came back from my ex, and any time there’s mention of maybe him being with somebody else… they are just really adamant about keeping that dream alive that we might still be together one day.’
Blackstock also has two children – Savannah, 23, and Seth, 18 – with his ex-wife, Melissa Ashworth, from whom he split in 2012.
How did Brandon Blackstock die?
Representatives for Blackstock confirmed his death on August 7 following his secret cancer diagnosis.
‘It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,’ a representative confirmed to People.
‘Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. 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.’
While Clarkson is yet to comment publicly on the death of her former husband, it’s believed she is ‘devastated’, especially for her children.
‘When she found out that he was sick, she remained protective of him for their sake,’ a source told People.
‘Kelly has always tried to keep things classy. It became clear earlier this year that Brandon was not doing well.’
The news of his death comes just weeks before his daughter Savannah announced her pregnancy with her second child.
Blackstock became a grandfather when she welcomed her first baby, Lake, in 2022.
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