Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, has passed away at the age of 48. Few people knew it, but Blackstock had been treated for cancer for the past three years. In case you’re wondering about the timeline, Kelly filed for divorce in June 2020, after she learned that Blackstock was stealing from her, misappropriating her money and misrepresenting her in business situations (he was her manager at the time). Their divorce took two long years to finalize, mostly because of a huge fight over money – Blackstock fought for every single nickel and dime he could get from her, and he even “squatted” in their Montana ranch and claimed joint ownership. She was paying him six figures a month in spousal support, and he walked away from the marriage (in 2022) with a reported $3.8 million. Soon after their divorce was finalized, he was diagnosed with cancer.
Brandon Blackstock, a talent manager known as both the ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson and the former stepson of Reba McEntire, has died. He was 48.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a rep for the family tells PEOPLE in a statement. “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.”
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, Clarkson revealed Blackstock had been ill, and she postponed her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children, River, 11, and Remington, 9.
“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 in a statement, apologizing to fans and expressing appreciation for their “grace, kindness and understanding.”
Blackstock also had two children from a previous marriage, Savannah and Seth, and became a grandfather in 2022 when his eldest child Savannah gave birth to a son, Lake.
Well… I feel sorry for his kids. I also feel incredibly sorry for Kelly. This explains so much in retrospect, including her unexplained absences from her talk show and her sudden postponements of her Vegas residency. Reportedly, she was caring for her ex-husband. Yeah, she’s a bigger person than me. I’m sure she was thinking of their children and all of that, but there was so much water under that bridge. I hope she’s okay and the kids are okay.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
