Kelly Clarkson and her family are mourning the unexpected death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, who passed away at the age of 48 after a three-year battle with illness. The talent manager and former husband of the “Since U Been Gone” singer passed peacefully surrounded by family.
Blackstock, who met Clarkson in 2006 and was married to her from 2013 to 2022, shared two children with the singer — daughter River, 11, and son Remy, 9. In a statement shared on the management company’s social media on August 7, Blackstock’s family confirmed the news, expressing their sadness at his passing and asking for privacy during this difficult time.
Brandon’s Battle with Illness and Kelly’s Commitment to Family
Blackstock’s death came shortly after Clarkson made a public statement about the difficulties her family had been facing. In a post made the night before his passing, Clarkson explained that she had been postponing her Las Vegas residency shows scheduled for August in order to focus on being there for her children. “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 on Instagram.
Brandon Blackstock is survived not only by Kelly and their children but also by two children from his previous marriage to Melissa Atwell, son Seth and daughter Savannah. Savannah welcomed a child of her own in 2022. Blackstock is also survived by his mother Elysa Gayle Ritter, 69, his father Narvel Blackstock, 68, and his former stepmother, country singer Reba McEntire, who was married to Narvel from 1989 until 2015.
Legal and Personal Challenges in Recent Years
In the years leading up to his death, Brandon Blackstock faced personal and legal difficulties, particularly related to his contentious divorce from Kelly Clarkson. The divorce process took several years to finalize, marked by disputes over custody of their children and alimony.
In 2023, Kelly moved from Los Angeles to New York City to be closer to family, while Brandon had been living on Clarkson’s Montana ranch. However, after a judge ruled in June 2022 as part of their divorce settlement that Brandon had to vacate the property, it is unclear where he spent the remainder of his life.
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