Brandon Blackstock Was Dating Kelly Clarkson’s Former Assistant Following Nasty Divorce

That had to sting.

Last week, it was announced that Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and famous entertainment talent manager, has sadly passed away at 48. He was the father to her two young children River, 11, and Remington, 9, and he also had two adult children from a previous marriage, Savannah and Seth. He became a grandfather in 2022 when his eldest child Savannah gave birth to a son, Lake.

Blackstock was also the stepson of Reba McEntire, as Reba was married to Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, for many years, from 1989 to 2015.

A rep for the family gave a statement to PEOPLE, confirming his passing and saying he had been battling cancer for “more than three years.” They also thanked the fans for their thoughts and prayers, and asked for privacy during this very difficult time:

“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. 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.”

Brandon had been fighting melanoma, and he and Clarkson went through a nasty divorce several years ago, as Clarkson filed for divorce from him back in 2020. They finally settled their divorce in 2022 after a longtime custody battle over their two children, though the battle made headlines for years and it seemed as though they were not on good terms.

Clarkson and Blackstock were married from 2013 until 2022, and they first met in 2006 at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards, when Blackstock was working as Rascal Flatts’ tour manager. Six years later, they reconnected at the Super Bowl and began dating. Blackstock later became Blake Shelton’s manager, as well as Clarkson’s while they were together.

And even though Clarkson and Blackstock were no longer married, and had been through a horrible divorce, a source told Page Six that Clarkson has been looking after him while trying to work and keep her residency, as well as popular daytime TV show, alive. They explained that Blackstock was “the man she loved” and still the father to her children:

“It’s been exhausting and so sad… 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.”

It’s so tragic for his young children, and I know Kelly and the rest of his family, including Reba, are absolutely devastated.

It’s so impressive to hear about how Kelly has stepped up for her kids during this time, putting aside her own personal feelings about her ex, and the relationship he was in, to make sure their kids spent time with their dad and had support at the end of his life.

According to Page Six, he was dating Clarkson’s former assistant Brittney Marie Jones during their divorce and thereafter, which was:

“The icing on the cake of the disappointment.”

I can’t imagine how hard that had to have been for her, but a source told the Daily Mail that Brandon:

“Chose to move on with someone Kelly knew and trusted, [which] just adds to the person he ended up being to her.”

Clarkson reportedly “doesn’t blame” Jones for her relationship with her ex, and didn’t want to add any drama for her fanbase to run with. It was revealed in Blackstock’s obituary that Jones was living with him in Montana and they were building a life together:

“Brandon, along with his beautiful and loving partner in life and business, Brittney Marie Jones, started building a life, building companies, and working tirelessly to create Headwaters Livestock Auction and what will live on as his legacy, The Valley View Rodeo in Bozeman, Montana.”

Jones was Clarkson’s assistant from December 2016 to December 2018, and following the end of her tenure with Clarkson, she became an assistant for Blackstock, which lasted until June of 2020, the same month Kelly filed for divorce.

But, as has been reported numerous time, Clarkson made sure her kids were not affected in terms of their relationship with their dad, and that was her only priority. She was not worried about his private life or who he was dating:

“When Brandon dealt more and more with his cancer, Kelly’s only goal was to make sure her kids were OK and to let him live his personal life any way he wanted to live it.

Kelly knew that Brittney wasn’t going to be a problem with her and her kids. There was never a misunderstanding between them.”

I just can’t imagine what Kelly and all of his kids must be going through, and even though their marriage didn’t work out in the long run, it’s clear he was a great dad and that Kelly still loved him even if they weren’t husband and wife.The post Brandon Blackstock Was Dating Kelly Clarkson’s Former Assistant Following Nasty Divorce first appeared on Whiskey Riff.