Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, privately battled cancer for three years before his death at age 48.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a rep for the family said in a statement to Us Weekly on Thursday, August 7. “Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years.”
The message, which did not disclose the type of cancer Blackstock had been diagnosed with, noted that Blackstock “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,” the statement concluded.
One day before Blackstock’s death, Clarkson, 43, shared in a statement that she had postponed her Las Vegas residency.
“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” Clarkson wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, August 6. “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.”
The statement concluded, “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Clarkson — whose former manager was Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock — and Brandon began dating in 2012 before tying the knot the following year. The twosome welcomed daughter River and son Remington in June 2014 and April 2016, respectively. (Brandon was also father of daughter Savannah and son Seth, whom he welcomed in 2002 and 2006 with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth. Brandon and Ashworth were married from 2001 to 2012.)
After nearly seven years of marriage, Clarkson filed for divorce from Brandon in 2020. The American Idol alum and Blackstock finalized their proceedings in 2022, with Clarkson being granted primary custody of their two kids.
Months before Brandon’s death, Clarkson alluded to everything she has faced behind closed doors while celebrating the 1,000th episode of her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show.
“For 1,000 episodes, we have laughed together, we have cried together with beautiful stories, sang together with some people, danced together, celebrated and competed together,” she said during a March episode of her eponymous show. “I’ve lost, alone, a lot, and along the way, we found comfort in one another. And looking back, we are all incredibly proud of what we’ve built and the community we’ve created.”
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