Kelly Clarkson is very private about her personal life and kept her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock’s battle with cancer out of the spotlight for the sake of their children. When the “American Idol” season 1 winner announced that she was postponing some of her Las Vegas concerts, she revealed it was due to Blackstock’s illness.
Kelly Clarkson Was Protective of Brandon Blackstock’s Privacy
In an August 2025 report from Us Weekly, a source told the outlet, “Even though they went through an acrimonious divorce, Kelly made a conscious decision to protect Brandon’s privacy until the very end for the sake of their family.”
Clarkson never revealed her ex-husband’s illness when she took a break from her daytime talk show earlier this year.
“He’d been sick for a while, but his health really took a turn for the worse earlier this year. That’s why she was MIA from her talk show,” the source shared.
They added, “Out of respect, Kelly chose not to say anything publicly until it became clear this week that Brandon wasn’t going to make it.”
Kelly Clarkson Canceled Her August Concert Dates in Las Vegas
On August 6, Clarkson took to Instagram to share that she had to postpone some of her Las Vegas “Studio Sessions” concert dates because her ex-husband was ill.
“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” she wrote.
Clarkson continued, “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 “Idol” alum added, “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Blackstock died on August 7 at age 48 after a long battle with cancer. “It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a rep for the Blackstock family shared in a statement.
“Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family,” the statement noted. “We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
Clarkson and Blackstock married in October 2013 and filed for divorce in June 2020; they finalized their divorce in March 2022. She and Blackstock have two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander.
