How Kelly Clarkson Faced Brandon Blackstock's 'Catastrophic' News That Changed Her Family Forever
The last five years for Kelly Clarkson have been a period of dramatic change and growth. From her divorce from Brandon Blackstock to moving across the country to start over, she’s been through a massive trial.
Still, the former couple couldn’t have prepared for what came next — Blackstock’s cancer diagnosis and ultimately, his death. For the 43-year-old pop star and her ex-husband, it “changed their perspectives” on life, according to Us Weekly.
“Co-parenting was not easy for Kelly because she was the one who had to transport the kids, so it was really her life that was always turned upside down,” an insider told the media outlet while noting she was not “closer” to Blackstock before his death.
Instead, she shifted her mindset to River Rose, 11, and Remington Alexander, 9, and realized this news was “catastrophic for them.” She decided that their well-being during this crisis was the most important thing to focus on. That meant additional visits to Montana and missing “school a bunch to attend a family wedding.” Blackstock passed away on Aug. 7 at the age of 48, which was “devastating for everyone.”
Page Six noted that Blackstock’s cancer journey was “exhausting and so sad” for everyone, but Clarkson wanted to do right by her kids. “Kelly has been working so hard, as well as looking after Brandon. Despite their difficult divorce, he’s still the man she loved and still her kids’ father,” a source told them.
Her selfless act of love didn’t change the outcome of her marriage or Blackstock’s health, but River and Remington will always have those memories of their dad — especially the cherished time they spent with him in his final months.
Clarkson also seemed to understand that she and Blackstock would never be on the same page, but she wanted her kids to always love their dad.
“I know with me and Brandon, it’s just a difficult thing because we’re in different places, and it’s like, we both agree on the main things, but it’s a hard thing when you’re not together all the time, for me personally,” Clarkson told KOST 103.5 in November 2024. “As long as you make sure it’s about the children and their best interests, then we’re both on board.”
In the end, Clarkson will never regret putting her kids first in this tragic situation.
Before you go, click here to see which celebrity kids lost their parents too soon.