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.
Blackstock’s cause of death was confirmed as melanoma, a form of skin cancer in a statement from Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis to People on Monday.
The statement read: ‘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.
Heartbreaking new details have emerged about the death of Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock at age 48 – pictured 2020
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 comes 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 a $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 and Clarkson began dating in 2012, before tying the knot in October 2013.
Blackstock’s cause of death was confirmed as melanoma, a form of skin cancer in a statement from Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis to People on Monday – pictured weeks before his death with daughter Savannah
The former couple were married for nearly seven years before she filed for divorce in June 2020.
Clarkson missed 10 show tapings in March for ‘personal reasons’ while celebrity friends such as Brooke Shields and Andy Cohen filled in for her.
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.
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.’
