Kelly Clarkson quietly stepped away from her NBC talk show earlier this year to care for her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, during his battle with melanoma. Blackstock, 48, died Aug. 7, his family confirmed.
The "American Idol" winner had left fans puzzled when she disappeared from "The Kelly Clarkson Show" for several weeks in February and March, with celebrity guests filling in. Behind the scenes, sources said Clarkson was at Blackstock's side. The two share two children, River, 10, and Remington, 8, and divorced in 2022.
"It's been exhausting and so sad," a source told Page Six. "Despite their difficult divorce, he's still the man she loved and still her kids' father."
Residency Canceled for Family Time
One day before Blackstock's death was announced, Clarkson told fans she was canceling the rest of her August "Studio Sessions" Las Vegas residency dates. "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.
Clarkson, 43, holds primary custody of her children and has long balanced career demands with parenting. She apologized to ticketholders, adding, "I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding."
According to her website, her next scheduled performances are in November.
Behind the Absence
During her March hiatus from taping, guest hosts including Andy Cohen, Simu Liu, Brooke Shields, and Willie Geist stepped in. Clarkson returned briefly on March 18 but was replaced again the next day before resuming March 20.
Her time away wasn't only tied to family needs. In Las Vegas, she canceled her residency's opening night just 90 minutes before curtain. A Vegas insider said she could not risk "serious damage" to her voice. "She belts out every single note... and she's come incredibly close to needing surgery before," the source said.
Another insider described her personal life as "insanely complicated" and a source of both emotional and physical strain.
Looking Ahead
Clarkson has spoken openly about how her divorce and legal disputes with Blackstock affected her. "Just to be brutally honest, I did not handle [the divorce] well," she told Apple Music in 2023.
Page Six reported that before Blackstock's death, Clarkson was considering leaving her talk show when her contract expires in 2026 to spend more time on music and her children. She relocated to New York City for the program but has told friends she is eager to focus more on home life.
Blackstock, a talent manager and the former stepson of Reba McEntire, married Clarkson in 2013. The two lived in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Montana before their split.
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