Heartbreaking new details have emerged about the death of Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock at age 48.
Blackstock, a talent manager and the former stepson of country superstar Reba McEntire, died on Thursday, August 7 after a three year battle with cancer.
His cause of death was confirmed as melanoma, a form of skin cancer, in a statement from Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis to the Daily Mail on Monday.
The statement added: ‘Brandon Blackstock passed away peacefully at his home in Butte, Montana on August 7th under hospice care surrounded by his family.’
Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that develops in the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, according to the Mayo Clinic.
It is caused by exposure to ultraviolet light, and melanoma usually develops on parts of the skin that are regularly exposed to the sun, a major source of UV light.
A representative for the family confirmed Blackstock’s death in a statement on Thursday which read: ‘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.’
The news of Blackstock’s death came hours after Clarkson revealed she was postponing the remaining dates on her Las Vegas residency in August due to her ex-husband’s illness.
Following the end of their decade-long relationship, Blackstock, who once managed Clarkson’s career, purchased the $1.8 million property in Butte, Montana, just weeks after their divorce was finalized in 2022.
He and Clarkson shared two children — daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington ‘Remy’ James, 9.
He was also father to daughter Savannah, 23, and son Seth from his first marriage to Melissa Ashworth.
Blackstock was last pictured in March of this year, looking frail as he joined River and Remington at the Houston Rodeo with his brother Shelby and McEntire.
Blackstock’s father, film producer Narvel Blackstock, was married to McEntire from 1989–2015 and they share Shelby, 35.
In a statement shared to X on Wednesday, Clarkson revealed that it was a health-related issue with Blackstock that forced her to step away from the stage.
‘Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,’ she wrote.
‘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,’ she concluded.
Blackstock and Clarkson began dating in 2012, before tying the knot in October 2013.
The former couple were married for nearly seven years before she filed for divorce in June 2020.
Blackstock became her manager in 2017, and negotiated lucrative deals for his wife to appear on The Voice and to host her own eponymous talk show.
Clarkson missed 10 show tapings in March for ‘personal reasons’ while celebrity friends such as Brooke Shields and Andy Cohen filled in for her.
However, they separated in 2020 and after a lot of ugly give and take, finalized their divorce in 2022.
‘The irony is that he’s had a very positive influence on her life; he made these phenomenal deals for her, and she wouldn’t be here without him. But it’s hard to be a manager and a husband,’ an industry insider told Page Six.
‘At the time, she greatly appreciated what he had done for her career,’ they added.
‘Everything between Kelly and Brandon was stressful and intense and, like, one match away from a powder keg going off when it came to those ongoing negotiations,’ the source told the outlet.
‘And trying to keep the kids stable in the midst of all that is just hugely exhausting and draining.’
In 2022, the Moment Like This singer had agreed to pay her ex-husband a $1.3 million lump sum as part of their divorce settlement .
They also agreed that Clarkson would pay Blackstock $45,601 per month in child support payments.
On top of that, she had to pay Blackstock $115,000 per month for spousal support, though those payments were set to end in January of last year.
The exes agreed to share joint custody of River and Remington, but the children would primarily live in Los Angeles with their mother and would visit Blackstock at his home in Montana for one weekend per month.
At the time, he was paying Clarkson rent on the ranch that they had shared in Montana before he was scheduled to move out in June 2022.
The settlement allowed Blackstock to retain control of their farm animals, including cattle, dogs and horses, as well as multiple vehicles for use around the property, including an ATV, snowmobiles and two pickup trucks: a Ford F-350 and an F-250.
Clarkson got to keep the small family pets in the deal, as well as a baby grand piano, hunting items and all of their firearms, both from before and during their marriage.
