Kelly Clarkson Was Reportedly “Looking After” Late Husband Brandon Blackstock During Cancer Battle In Spite Of Nasty Divorce: “He’s Still The Man She Loved”

With him until the end, even though they weren’t married anymore.

This afternoon, 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.”

Just yesterday, Clarkson revealed Blackstock had been sick, and she postponed her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children. She did not disclose in-detail what happened, but said in a statement that Blackstock was simply “ill”:

“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. I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and i so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”

The two of them went through a nasty divorce several years ago, as Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock 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, obviously.

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.

In 2018, she told Marie Claire that she was impressed by Blackstock’s talent and she would’ve hired him regardless of if they were in a romantic relationship or not:

“I wouldn’t have hired Brandon to be my manager if I didn’t see first-hand how great he is at that and how much he cares about Blake. And the way that [Blake’s] career has blown up, I would have hired Brandon regardless. He’s really talented at what he does and his mind really does work in a completely different way.”

But even though they went through a rough patch when they were splitting up, it sounds like Clarkson was able to set aside her negative feelings towards her ex and stepped up to take care of him.

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.”

Kelly always comes across as such a sweet, down-to-earth woman, and so it doesn’t surprise me that she was taking care of Blackstock, even though she was under no obligation to do so. No matter what went down between them, it’s clear she really loved him, and I can only imagine how hard it is going to be for his children to grieve this loss.

Hearing that he was “still the man she loved” is just heartbreaking, and it’s just incredibly sad news all-around. How Clarkson was able to put all of that other stuff behind her under incredibly difficult circumstances shows her character and clearly very deep love she had for the father of her children.The post Kelly Clarkson Was Reportedly “Looking After” Late Husband Brandon Blackstock During Cancer Battle In Spite Of Nasty Divorce: “He’s Still The Man She Loved” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.