Reba McEntire Said She Loved Her Stepson Brandon Blackstock “Like He’s My Blood” Even After Her Divorce From His Father, Narvel Blackstock

Even though she wasn’t his biological mother, he was still family to Reba.

Yesterday, it was announced that Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and talent manager for artists like Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts and Clarkson, sadly passed away at the age of 48.

Blackstock 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.

The music exec was also the stepson of Reba McEntire, who was married to Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015. But even years after divorcing his father, Reba still considered Brandon her son.

During a 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Reba spoke on her relationship with Brandon:

“Brandon’s been my son forever, it seems like. Although he’s my stepson, I still love him like he’s my blood.”

It’s no surprise that Reba formed a close bond with Brandon: She married his father when Brandon was just 13 years old, and the couple were married for 26 years before their divorce. They also share one son together, Brandon’s half-brother Shelby Blackstock, who is a race car driver.

A statement from the family yesterday confirmed Brandon’s passing while also revealing that he had been privately 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 this week, Clarkson revealed Blackstock had been sick, and postponed her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children. She did not disclose what was wrong at the time, 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, after 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 to get pretty nasty between the two.

Clarkson and Blackstock were married from 2013 until 2022, after first meeting 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 whether 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.”

And 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.”

You hate it for the kids most of all, but it sounds like even through the divorces in the family, there were still a lot of people who had a lot of love for Blackstock.The post Reba McEntire Said She Loved Her Stepson Brandon Blackstock “Like He’s My Blood” Even After Her Divorce From His Father, Narvel Blackstock first appeared on Whiskey Riff.