Kelly Clarkson has confirmed the tragic rumor circling about her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, as she announced the postponement of her Las Vegas residency amid his reported health struggles. On Wednesday, August 6, she revealed that her ex-husband had been privately battling an unnamed illness for the past several months, and that she’s choosing to be fully present for her children as they navigate this chapter as a family. “Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” Clarkson said in a statement shared with fans. “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.”
She added, “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.” This news came after Clarkson also postponed the July 4 and 5 opening dates of her Las Vegas residency due to an issue with her voice. For months, speculation has swirled about Blackstock’s declining health amid Clarkson’s extended absence from “The Kelly Clarkson Show” around March and April. At the time, a source close to Clarkson told NewsNation, “Her ex-husband is sick and she took the kids to see him.”
Clarkson and Blackstock were married for over seven years and share two children: daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander. Following their split, the two found themselves tangled in a lengthy legal battle over child support and financial disputes, with Blackstock having also acted as Clarkson’s manager during their marriage. Since her announcement, Clarkson has received an outpouring of love and support from fans in the comments.
Fans have rallied around Clarkson
Fans have rallied around Kelly Clarkson following her emotional announcement regarding her ex-husband’s illness. “Those kids need you more than we do!” one fan assured Clarkson. “Go be the best momma!” Some of her celebrity friends also expressed their sympathy, including fashion designer Michael Costello, who wrote, “Sending you and your family love and prayers for healing.” Meanwhile, others speculated about the nature of Blackstock’s health issues in the comments. “Sounds like either he has cancer or alcohol issues at this rate, bless his heart,” one person posited. “Just shows you what an amazing woman she is for putting her kids first regardless [of] what he put her through,” the user added.
Over the years, Clarkson has been open about her split from Blackstock and the emotional toll it took on her. “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 stressed in a candid interview on Angie Martinez’s “IRL” podcast. She reflected on the many attempts she made to try to save their marriage, only to realize that no amount of effort was going to fix what was broken. “I wanted to make it beautiful. I wanted to make it awesome. I wanted to make it everything it possibly could be, and sometimes that just doesn’t happen.” She also got candid about the impact their messy divorce had on their children: “They’re really honest about it,” Clarkson says. “I get it. I’m from a divorced family as well. It sucks.”
We can only hope Clarkson, Blackstock, and their children will find support in each other as they continue to navigate this challenging time.
