Brandon Blackstock's illness and death: what really happened to Kelly Clarkson's ex
Brandon Blackstock's illness was kept private until his death in August 2025 after a 3-year battle with cancer. His ex-wife and mother of his two kids, Kelly Clarkson, cancelled her August 2025 shows to be "fully present for them." The demise came after their contentious divorce and lengthy legal battle.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Brandon Blackstock's profile summary
- What kind of sickness did Brandon Blackstock have?
- Brandon Blackstock spent his last years as a rodeo cowboy
- Brandon Blackstock had four kids
- Brandon was dating Clarkson's ex-assistant
- Brandon Blackstock was close to Reba McEntire
- Clarkson and Brandon had a tough public divorce
- Final word
Key takeaways
- Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, passed away on August 7, 2025, after battling skin cancer for over three years.
- Brandon was a talent manager before he left the industry in the early 2020s to establish his new life as a rodeo cowboy in Montana.
- He welcomed four children from his two marriages to Kelly Clarkson and Melissa Ashworth.
Brandon Blackstock's profile summary
Full name | Narvel Brandon Blackstock |
Date of birth | December 16, 1976 |
Place of birth | Fort Worth, Texas |
Date of death | August 7, 2025 |
Place of death | Butte, Montana |
Age at death | 48 years old |
Ex-wives | Melissa Ashworth (1999-2012) Kelly Clarkson (2013-2022) |
Girlfriend | Brittney Marie Jones (until 2025) |
Children | Savannah, Seth, River Rose, Remington Alexander |
Parents | Narvel Blackstock, Elisa Gayle Ritter, Reba McEntire (stepmother) |
Siblings | Shawna Rene, Chassidy Celeste, Shelby Blackstock (half-brother) |
Profession | Talent manager, producer, cowboy |
What kind of sickness did Brandon Blackstock have?
Brandon was diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in 2022. He kept his battle with the ailment private. On August 7, 2025, Kelly Clarkson revealed on Instagram that she had to postpone her August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas to support their two kids, River and Remy.
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.
Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband died on August 7, 2025, at his home in Butte, Montana, where he had been under hospice care. He was 48.
A Silver Bow County coroner revealed Brandon Blackstock's cause of death to be melanoma complications and the manner of death to be natural.
Source: Original
Brandon Blackstock spent his last years as a rodeo cowboy
Blackstock established The Valley View Rodeo in Bozeman, Montana, in 2023. He also created the livestock auction company Headwaters Livestock Auction.
He previously worked in the music industry for over two decades. He was a talent manager alongside his father, Narvel Blackstock, under the management company Starstruck Entertainment.
Brandon managed several major clients, including Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, and Carly Pearce. He also served as an executive producer of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Source: Getty Images
Brandon Blackstock had four kids
Blackstock welcomed two children, daughter Savannah (born in 2002) and son Seth (born in 2007), with his first wife, Melissa Ashworth. They were married from 1999 to 2012.
In June 2014, Brandon welcomed daughter, River Rose, with Kelly Clarkson. The ex-couple had their son Remington 'Remy' Alexander in April 2016.
The talent manager was also a grandfather. His daughter, Savannah, had her first child, Lake Easton Lee, in January 2022 with her husband, Quentin Lee. She was expecting another child, LouCasey Lee, when Brandon Blackstock died.
Source: Getty Images
Brandon was dating Clarkson's ex-assistant
At the time of his death, Brandon was in a relationship with Brittney Marie Jones, who was described in his obituary as a "loving partner in life and business." The pair was building their life in Butte, Montana, and worked together on Brandon's rodeo business.
Brittney previously worked as Kelly Clarkson's production assistant from 2016 to 2018. She transitioned to an executive management assistant role for Starstruck Entertainment in December 2018.
Brandon Blackstock was close to Reba McEntire
Brandon became the stepson of country music star Reba McEntire in 1989 when she married his father, Narvel Blackstock. She continued to speak fondly of him after her divorce from Narvel in 2015. The singer told ET in 2021:
Brandon's been my son forever, it seems. Although he's my stepson, I still love him like he's my total – my blood.
Source: Instagram
Clarkson and Brandon had a tough public divorce
Brandon married Kelly Clarkson on October 20, 2013, at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. The Because of You hitmaker filed for divorce in June 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.
Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson's divorce battle stretched for over two years. It was officially finalised in March 2022, with the singer getting primary physical custody of their two kids. Brandon retained joint legal custody and visitation rights.
Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband received monthly alimony of $115,000, which was to last until January 2024 and a one-time payment of over $1.3 million as part of their divorce settlement. He was also awarded monthly child support payments of $45,601, but Kelly kept their $17 million Montana Ranch.
Source: Getty Images
What did Brandon Blackstock do to Kelly?
Brandon and Starstruck Entertainment sued Kelly Clarkson in September 2020 for unpaid commissions worth over $1.4 million. The Breakaway hitmaker counter-sued at the California Labour Commission, alleging that Blackstock had violated the Talent Agencies Act by unlawfully procuring deals that a talent agent should have handled.
Clarkson had a major legal win in November 2023 when Blackstock was ordered to pay her over $2.6 million. Brandon filed an appeal, and the case was headed to trial before they had a confidential settlement in May 2024.
Kelly channelled her experience into her 2023 album Chemistry. Despite the difficult divorce and contentious legal battles, the singer supported Brandon during his illness.
Source: Getty Images
Final word
Brandon Blackstock’s illness and passing came as a shock to many. The father of four was frequently in the spotlight due to his legal disputes with his ex-wife, Kelly Clarkson, who, despite their divorce and ongoing litigation, remained supportive throughout his battle with cancer.
READ MORE: Who is Elisa Gayle Ritter? Meet Narvel Blackstock's first wife
Briefly.co.za published the biography of Narvel Blackstock's first wife, Elisa Gayle Ritter. They were married from 1973 to 1988.
Narvel and Elisa welcomed three kids, including Brandon Blackstock, Shawna Rene, and Chassidy Celeste. After their divorce, Narvel married Reba McEntire, while Elisa found her forever partner in Daniel Gilbert, who has been her husband since 1989.
Source: Briefly News
