Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock posed with his daughter for a poignant family snap just weeks before his death from cancer aged 48. 

Blackstock, who worked as a talent manager and was once the stepson of country music legend Reba McEntire, was married to Kelly Clarkson, the American Idol winner, from 2013 until 2022. They have two children together.

In a photo posted on July 20, 18 days before Blackstock’s death was announced, the frail star embraced his pregnant firstborn Savannah, 23.

Blackstock and his daughter wore matching black outfits as they enjoyed the day outdoors together – marking the final snap of him before his death.  

Blackstock had been battling melanoma, according to TMZ.

According to the Mayo Clinic, melanoma is a severe type of skin cancer that forms in the cells that produce skin pigment. It typically results from ultraviolet light exposure and often appears on skin areas frequently exposed to sunlight.

Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock posed with his daughter for a poignant family snap just weeks before his death from cancer aged 48

During their marriage from 2013 to 2022, Clarkson, who is 43, and Blackstock had two children named River, 11, and Remington, nine. Blackstock also has two other children from a prior relationship; the family is shown here in 2019 in LA.

The announcement of Blackstock’s passing came shortly after Clarkson mentioned she was postponing her upcoming shows in Las Vegas in August due to her ex-husband’s health issues.

A representative for the family said in a statement: ‘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.’

Clarkson, 43, and Blackstock welcomed two children, River, 11, and Remington, nine, before their split in 2020.

Blackstock also had son Seth, 19, and a grandson, Lake. 

One month before Blackstock’s death, Savannah announced she was expecting her second child, a baby girl.

On Instagram, she shared: “We’ve been keeping a couple of delightful surprises. A little girl is expected to join us in early January, and another lovely girl named Julianna has already become an incredible blessing to our family.”

On July 20, 18 days before Blackstock’s passing was made public, a photo was shared in which the fragile star is seen with his pregnant daughter Savannah, 23; the image includes Clarkson and Savannah in 2018.

The announcement 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 

He was  pictured in March of this year (top left), looking frail as he joined River and Remington at the Houston Rodeo with his brother Shelby and McEntire

Blackstock posed with McEntire just five months before his shock death

‘The Lord has been so faithful. He’s written a story we never could’ve imagined, and His kindness in this season has left us in awe. He’s answered prayers we never even knew how to pray. This journey has been so special full of peace, excitement, and so much grace. We’re growing again, and our hearts are so full. Thank you, Jesus.’

Blackstock was last pictured in March of this year, looking frail as he joined River and Remington at the Houston Rodeo with his brother Shelby and McEntire.

Blackstock’s father, film producer Narvel Blackstock, was married to McEntire from 1989–2015 and they share Shelby, 35. 

In a statement shared to X on Wednesday, Clarkson revealed that it was a health-related issue with Blackstock that forced her to step away from the stage.

‘Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,’ she wrote. 

‘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.

‘I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding,’ she concluded.

Clarkson didn’t include information about what would happen to fans who had already purchased tickets to her postponed residency dates. 

Clarkson’s relationship with Blackstock began in 2012, and the two tied the knot the following year.

They had both a romantic and professional relationship at first, as her husband also served as her manager. 

The former couple are seen 2020

Clarkson is pictured with the former couple’s two children River and Remington

Clarkson last performed at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Saturday, August 2 – pictured

Clarkson’s 2015 song Piece By Piece was written in honor of Blackstock, who she said gave her security her father never did. 

However, Clarkson filed for divorce in June 2020 on grounds of irreconcilable differences, and the two were subsequently engaged in years of legal wrangling related to their finances.

Their messy divorce was reported to have been finalized in March of 2022, but it wasn’t until a year later that Clarkson won a $2.6 million judgment against her husband.

Clarkson had claimed her husband owed her millions in commissions that he should not have been able to collect for deals that he set up that should have been handled by a talent agent, rather than her manager, and the California Labor Commissioner ultimately agreed.

It ruled that Blackstock had overstepped by working around Clarkson’s agents at Creative Artists Agency.

In May 2024, the warring exes finally reached a settlement in Clarkson’s lawsuit over the commission fees. 

The hitmaker had previously won the $2.6 million judgement for deals Blackstock had secured for her going back to 2017, but she had claimed he had been taking the place of her talent agents while serving as her manager going back as far as 2007, so she had requested a more thorough accounting of commissions paid to her ex-husband.

Although Clarkson and Blackstock both requested that her lawsuit be dismissed after the settlement was reached, the details of the agreement were not publicly disclosed. 

Blackstock’s father, film producer Narvel Blackstock was married to McEntire from 1989-2015 and they share son Shelby, 35 – pictured 2015

Clarkson’s relationship with Blackstock began in 2012, and the two tied the knot the following year. They had both a romantic and professional relationship at first, as her husband also served as her manager – pictured 2018

In 2022, the Moment Like This singer had agreed to pay her ex-husband a $1.3 million lump sum as part of their divorce settlement. 

They also agreed that Clarkson would pay Blackstock $45,601 per month in child support payments. 

On top of that, she had to pay Blackstock $115,000 per month for spousal support, though those payments were set to end in January of last year.

The exes agreed to share joint custody of River and Remington, but the children would primarily live in Los Angeles with their mother and would visit Blackstock at his home in Montana for one weekend per month.

At the time, he was paying Clarkson rent on the ranch that they had shared in Montana before he was scheduled to move out in June 2022. 

Clarkson is pictured July 11 in Las Vegas

The settlement allowed Blackstock to retain control of their farm animals, including cattle, dogs and horses, as well as multiple vehicles for use around the property, including an ATV, snowmobiles and two pickup trucks: a Ford F-350 and an F-250. 

Clarkson got to keep the small family pets in the deal, as well as a baby grand piano, hunting items and all of their firearms, both from before and during their marriage. 

Earlier this year, the TV star was mysteriously absent from her eponymous talk show for multiple weeks, missing 10 shows in total.

Clarkson didn’t explain her absence at the time, though in May she complained on stage about the show’s demanding schedule, she she said kept her from touring as much as she wanted to.