Kelly Clarkson Reveals the Heartbreaking Reason She Was Absent From Her Talk Show Last Spring
Kelly Clarkson is proving that family comes first, no matter what has happened in the past.
The 43-year-old singer revealed on an Aug. 6 Instagram post that she needed to postpone her Las Vegas residency for a very serious reason.
“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.”
The pop star confirmed the rumors about Blackstock’s health that first surfaced in April in a report by NewsNation. She had been sporadically absent from The Kelly Clarkson Show, and the media outlet shared unconfirmed news (at the time) about her ex-husband’s health.
“Her ex-husband is sick, and she took the kids to see him,” NewsNation said on April 18.
Clarkson and Blackstock share two children: a daughter, River, 11, and a son, Remington, 9. He also is father to two children from his previous marriage to Melissa Ashworth: Savannah and Seth,
On Aug. 7, People was the first to confirm that Blackstock passed away at the age of 48 after a three-year battle with cancer.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a representative told the media outlet. “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.”
Blackstock’s situation is likely behind the rumors that Clarkson is looking to exit her daytime television contract after the 2025-26 season. She’s thinking that she might need a shift next year when her contract is up,” a source told People on July 10. “She still has time to figure out what’s best for her career and family. She was never one to rush into things.”
There also seems to be a desire to return to music full-time, but her commitment to The Kelly Clarkson Show doesn’t allow for that. While performing at a May 9 concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Clarkson hinted at the conflict.
“We haven’t done a show in a while, y’all, ’because I have a talk show,” she told the New Jersey audience, via Page Six. “It’s like a whole other job. We are bummed because we love doing shows, and it’s hard to fit it in, so it’s cool when it does work out with the schedule, and it’s cool to get to see your faces and feed off y’all.”
Clarkson and Blackstock’s divorce was contentious after they split in 2020, battling over spousal support and her Montana ranch. Still, there was a desire for the TV personality to make the co-parenting relationship work for their kids.
“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,” she 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.”
And that’s exactly what Clarkson is doing with her ex-husband’s health battle, putting their kids’ needs first.
A version of this article was previously published on Aug. 7, 2025.
Before you go, click here to see 19 facts about Kelly Clarkson you didn’t already know.