Kelly Clarkson’s marriage to Brandon Blackstock was removed from the fairytale she imagined once they took the plunge and tied the knot in 2013. What started as a promising union finally turned rocky in ways in which proved too nice for them to beat as a pair. And whereas their cut up was acrimonious, Clarkson held her head excessive for the sake of the couple’s youngsters. Sadly, on August 7, 2025 lower than a day after Clarkson introduced she was suspending her Las Vegas residency to give attention to her youngsters amid Blackstock’s sickness, it was confirmed that her ex-husband had died on the age of 48 after privately battling most cancers.

From the second their paths intertwined, Clarkson felt an invisible string pulling her in direction of her late ex-husband. “This man walks by, making everyone snicker. I mentioned, ‘I am gonna find yourself with him.’ I do know it,” the singer instructed Folks in 2013. Regardless that timing wasn’t on her aspect (Blackstock was nonetheless married to his first spouse Melissa Ashworth once they met), Clarkson could not ignore what she was feeling. “He walked by, I used to be able to take all of it off,” she mentioned. “I simply felt one thing.” The 2 married in October 2013, simply over a 12 months after they reconnected on the 2012 Tremendous Bowl and formally began relationship. Over the course of their marriage, they welcomed two youngsters: daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander.

Nevertheless, because the years went on, cracks started to indicate. In June 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock after almost seven years as husband and spouse, citing irreconcilable variations as her purpose. A supply near the state of affairs opened as much as Us Weekly about Clarkson’s closing determination to finish her marriage: “She felt that Brandon was simply utilizing her for her cash and way of life,” they claimed. “She had great resentment towards him.” By the top, the connection had develop into “actually, actually terrible” that she had no selection however to face the reality. “Kelly felt that she might now not belief Brandon.”

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s divorce proceedings proved prolonged and contentious as a result of their authorized dispute over baby custody and monetary help. Initially, the “Stronger” singer was granted major custody of their youngsters amid stories she and Blackstock weren’t seeing eye to eye “as a result of problems with belief between them,” Folks notes. Other than their youngsters, the couple’s Montana ranch additionally emerged as a serious sticking level within the divorce. Though a decide dominated in favor of Clarkson in October 2021, stating that the ranch fell beneath the phrases of their prenuptial settlement and thus belonged to her, Blackstock, who was nonetheless residing there, argued that it ought to be thought-about marital property.

On the time, a supply instructed Us Weekly that Clarkson was decided to battle Blackstock and “is devoting one hundred pc of any free time she has getting ready for the [divorce] trial.” Nevertheless, she and Blackstock in the end reached a settlement, agreeing on joint custody of their two youngsters and a $1.3 million lump-sum fee from Clarkson to Blackstock (plus month-to-month baby help). Their divorce was finalized in March 2022, following months of intense authorized back-and-forth.

Later, Clarkson appeared on Angie Martinez’s “IRL” podcast, the place she spoke brazenly in regards to the drawn-out and painful course of. “I feel the factor about divorce — particularly having it publicized, and folks pondering they know the entire thing — the toughest a part of that’s, like, it wasn’t an in a single day determination,” mentioned Clarkson. “Like anybody that is been divorced [knows]. That was years making an attempt to make… not make it work, ‘trigger I by no means wished to be a part of one thing to ‘make it work,'” she added. “I wished to make it stunning. I wished to make it superior.”

Kelly Clarkson bought many warnings about Brandon Blackstock previous to their 2020 divorce, however the singer and speak present host selected to disregard the purple flags. From disagreements on increasing their household to clashes of their personalities and existence, it was solely a matter of time earlier than their marriage crumbled. A supply instructed Us Weekly after their breakup, “Everybody thought Kelly and Brandon had the right marriage, however they positively did not. Brandon’s very laid-back, whereas Kelly’s fairly high-strung.” On prime of that, Clarkson’s more and more demanding schedule — together with internet hosting her speak present and training “The Voice” — additionally reportedly put a pressure on their relationship, particularly with Blackstock having most well-liked an easier life for them in Nashville. “When she went to Hollywood, it modified issues,” the insider added.

One other issue within the couple’s cut up was being confined beneath one roof in the course of the COVID-19 quarantine. Clarkson was surprisingly sincere about their struggles throughout lockdown whereas chatting with Folks in Could 2020. “We have been in actually shut quarters and it has been sort of nuts. I am not going to lie,” the “Due to You” singer admitted. “There’s positively some cabin fever occurring. It is difficult being a working mother.” Sadly, the stress of quarantine solely intensified the stress that was already simmering beneath the floor.

In any divorce, it is all the time the kids who are suffering essentially the most within the emotional tug-of-war between two dad and mom, simply because it did for Kelly Clarkson’s youngsters with Brandon Blackstock. The singer has been open about how their messy divorce has impacted their youngsters, River and Remington, who have been simply 6 and 4, respectively, once they cut up. “I actually requested my youngsters each night time once we’re snuggling up within the mattress, ‘Are you content? And if you happen to’re not, what might make you happier?'” Clarkson shared on Angela Martinez’s “IRL” podcast. “Quite a lot of instances it could be like, ‘You already know, I am simply actually unhappy. I want Mommy and Daddy have been in the identical home.'”

As a product of divorced dad and mom, it is a ache Clarkson is aware of all too properly. However all she might actually do was attempt to consolation them. “I simply sit there and I am like, ‘I get it. … That sucks,'” she mentioned. “‘However we will work it out. And you’re so liked by each of us.'” Nonetheless, she understands that it doesn’t matter what she tells her youngsters, it does not change how they really feel about their dad and mom separating. “Your youngsters will nonetheless have a tough time,” Clarkson harassed on the podcast “We Can Do Onerous Issues.” Actually, “I’m nonetheless having conversations [with my kids] three years later.”

The three-time Grammy winner additionally bought candid on how she actually feels about co-parenting with Blackstock throughout an look on “Not Gonna Lie” podcast with Kylie Kelce months earlier than his dying. “It is like, ‘Oh, he could not come… Okay cool.’ What, do you suppose I simply depart and simply sit within the park all day?” Clarkson argued. “There’s lots that I hold in. As a result of co-parenting is enjoyable,” she added sarcastically.