Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband and father to their children, died of cancer on Thursday, and tributes have sinced poured in to the star, from Fort Worth, Texas
One of Kelly Clarkson’s last interviews about ex-husband Brandon Blackstock has resurfaced following the talent manager’s death.
The three-time Grammy Award winner, who was married to Brandon for nine years until their divorce in 2022, gushed about her ex in the chat with People. However, the 43-year-old singer also admitted “love is hard” in the fascinating interview in January last year, around 10 months after the messy divorce had been finalised.
Brandon, who had two children with Kelly, died on Thursday after a journey with cancer. The passing came hours after Kelly postponed her Studio Session concerts in Las Vegas, writing on Instagram: “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.”
While Kelly is as yet to address Brandon’s death publicly, comments from the 2024 interview about her former spouse have resurfaced. She told how they started dating in early 2012 and married in Walland, Tennessee, in October of the following year. Kelly candidly said, in the 2024 interview, marriage was particularly important for Brandon, who became her manager during their relationship.
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In the piece, Kelly referred to the 2015 song Piece By Piece, written in honour of her then husband, who she said gave her security her father never did.
But the mum of two, originally from Fort Worth, Texas, added: “I’ve always known that love is hard. For me, love has always come with this elephant in the room of sadness. I’ve known love is not forever. I don’t mean that to sound depressing, but I think we put a lot of pressure on that word.
“Sometimes love is looking at someone and going, ‘This is not good for you. This is not good for me.’ That’s a hard thing to face. But when you do, I think you grow.”
A representative for the family yesterday told PEOPLE in a statement that Brandon had been diagnosed with cancer more than three years ago. They 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.”
The talent boss shared River Rose, 11, and Remington ‘Remy’ Alexander, nine, with Kelly and also had two children from a previous marriage. In 2022, he became a grandfather after his eldest daughter gave birth to a son.