Kelly Clarkson’s Ex-Husband, Brandon Blackstock, Dead At 48 Following Battle With Cancer

This afternoon, it was reported 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 ill, 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 “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.”

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Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock back in 2020, and they finally settled their divorce in 2022 after a longtime custody battle over their two children. It was a very bad divorce, and 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.”

It’s incredibly sad news, especially considering he leaves four children behind, two who are still very young. While they were no longer a couple, it sounds like Kelly was there for him, and their children, in the end, and was able to put all of that other stuff behind her under incredibly difficult circumstances.The post Kelly Clarkson’s Ex-Husband, Brandon Blackstock, Dead At 48 Following Battle With Cancer first appeared on Whiskey Riff.