For fans of Kelly Clarkson, news that her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, has died at 48 surely sparked concern about the “American Idol” alum and the former couple’s two children. Blackstock died of cancer just a day after Clarkson verified rumors that he was sick in an August 6 Instagram message to her fans. In it, Clarkson said that she would be postponing her Las Vegas residency, noting, “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.” It’s clear that despite having finalized her messy divorce with Blackstock just three years ago, Clarkson was helping their children to navigate this difficult time. While Clarkson was clearly in the picture leading up to Blackstock’s death, one comment she made some years ago alluded to the possibility that her ex was seeing someone new.
It’s clear that Clarkson and Blackstock didn’t have an easy divorce, but that didn’t stop their kids, River and Remington, from holding out hope that they would get back together. While on the “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast in 2023, Clarkson explained, “My kids just came back from my ex and any time there’s mention of maybe him being with somebody else…they are just really adamant about keeping that dream alive that we might still be together one day.”
Kelly Clarkson has said that she isn’t dating at the moment
It didn’t seem as though Kelly Clarkson intended to reveal anything about her ex-husband’s dating life on the podcast, but her comment did imply that Brandon Blackstock had started seeing someone new. Ultimately, Kelly said that no matter how you handle your divorce, “Your kids will still have a hard time… I am still having conversations [with my kids] three years later.”
Ultimately, it isn’t clear if Blackstock was in a relationship at the time of his death. It does seem, however, that Clarkson hasn’t gotten back out there yet. At one show during her Studio Sessions residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas last month, Clarkson told the audience, “Dating can be very difficult, which is why I don’t,” per People.
This came months after Clarkson appeared on KOST 1035 and explained that her kids were still resistant to the idea of their parents moving on with new partners. “They constantly bring it up, ‘Please, we don’t want you to be with anybody else,'” she explained, adding, “They’re young. It’s hard to picture their mom with someone else other than their dad.” Still, she said, “I have expressed like, ‘Hey, I love you guys but Mommy needs lovings too.'” So, while she may not be dating at the moment, it could be in the cards in the future.
