Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock dead at 48 after private melanoma battle

Kelly Clarkson is mourning the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.

The talent manager — whose family was pivotal in her career — died at the age of 48 after a private cancer battle.

“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,” his family said in a statement obtained by The Post on Thursday, Aug. 7.

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“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,” they concluded.

The Post has reached out to Clarkson’s rep for comment.

Sources told TMZ that Blackstock had melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer, noting that he passed away this morning.

Blackstock’s passing comes just hours after the “Since U Been Gone” singer abruptly postponed the remaining August shows of her Las Vegas residency, Studio Sessions.

The decision marked the second time she canceled dates in the series at Ceasars Palace since it started last month.

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Clarkson married Blackstock in 2013, and they have two children: daughter River, 11, and son Remy, 9.

The Grammy winner filed for divorce in 2020. The exes went through a nasty legal battle, which included fighting over custody of the kids and their Montana ranch. They reached a settlement in 2022.

Blackstock was the former stepson of Reba McEntire. The country superstar was married to his father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015.

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On Wednesday, Clarkson shared a heartbreaking statement, revealing her ex-husband’s illness.

“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” Clarkson wrote on her Instagram, just two days before she was set to take the stage.

“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,” the singer added.

“I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”

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Clarkson also postponed the first two shows of her residency in July, announcing the news just 90 minutes before showtime and citing the need for vocal rest.

Sources told Page Six at the time that she had “hidden battles that very few people are privy to,” adding, “It’s a source of emotional and therefore physical distress for her.”

They added: “Kelly’s personal life is so insanely complicated.”

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The singer-songwriter first sparked concern when she missed 10 episodes of her syndicated talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” in March, with her A-list friends stepping in to cover her hosting gig.

While she later cited a personal matter, insiders shared that behind the scenes, her personal life was unraveling due to Blackstock’s ailing health.

“It’s been exhausting and so sad,” a source told Page Six. “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.”

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They also noted that Clarkson took time off to help care for her ex-husband in his time of need.

Before Clarkson, Blackstock was married to Melissa Ashworth from 2001 to 2012. The pair had two kids: daughter Savannah, who’s in her 20s, and son Seth, 18.

Savannah and her father appeared in several photos together on social media in March, taken during a family outing that included his brother Shelby Blackstock, 35; his mother, McEntire, 70; and her longtime partner, Rex Linn.

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Blackstock’s children with Clarkson also appeared in some of the pictures.

Clarkson and her ex met at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 2006 when his dad was her manager and he was married to Ashworth.

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They reconnected years later at the Super Bowl. 

After their wedding, Brandon became Clarkson’s manager. He also managed her former “Voice” co-star Blake Shelton’s career until his divorce from the star.

“I wouldn’t have hired Brandon to be my manager if I didn’t see first-hand how great he is at that and how much he cares about Blake,” Clarkson told Marie Claire in 2018. “And the way that [Blake’s] career has blown up, I would have hired Brandon regardless. He’s really talented at what he does and his mind really does work in a completely different way.”

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The “Because of You” singer, who had primary custody of their two children, has opened up about the emotional toll she faced after their split.

“I think the thing about divorce — especially having it publicized, and people thinking they know the whole thing — the hardest part of that is, like, it wasn’t an overnight decision,” she revealed in 2023, a year after the divorce was finalized. “I wanted to make [our marriage] beautiful. I wanted to make it awesome. I wanted to make it everything it possibly could be, and sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”

Clarkson also got brutally honest, telling Apple Music that same year, “I did not handle [the divorce] well.”

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Blackstock became a grandfather in 2022 when Savannah welcomed her son. She is reportedly expecting again.

Brandon is also survived by sisters Shawna and Chassidy.