Kelly Clarkson’s marriage to Brandon Blackstock was far from the fairytale she imagined when they took the plunge and tied the knot in 2013. What began as a promising union eventually turned rocky in ways that proved too great for them to overcome as a couple. And while their split was acrimonious, Clarkson held her head high for the sake of the couple’s children. Sadly, on August 7, 2025 less than a day after Clarkson announced she was postponing her Las Vegas residency to focus on her kids amid Blackstock’s illness, it was confirmed that her ex-husband had died at the age of 48 after privately battling cancer.

From the moment their paths intertwined, Clarkson felt an invisible string pulling her towards her late ex-husband. “This guy walks by, making everybody laugh. I said, ‘I’m gonna end up with him.’ I know it,” the singer told People in 2013. Even though timing wasn’t on her side (Blackstock was still married to his first wife Melissa Ashworth when they met), Clarkson couldn’t ignore what she was feeling. “He walked by, I was ready to take it all off,” she said. “I just felt something.” The two married in October 2013, just over a year after they reconnected at the 2012 Super Bowl and officially started dating. Over the course of their marriage, they welcomed two children: daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander.

However, as the years went on, cracks began to show. In June 2020, Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock after nearly seven years as husband and wife, citing irreconcilable differences as her reason. A source close to the situation opened up to Us Weekly about Clarkson’s final decision to end her marriage: “She felt that Brandon was just using her for her money and lifestyle,” they claimed. “She had tremendous resentment toward him.” By the end, the relationship had become “really, really awful” that she had no choice but to face the truth. “Kelly felt that she could no longer trust Brandon.”

Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock’s divorce proceedings proved lengthy and contentious due to their legal dispute over child custody and financial support. Initially, the “Stronger” singer was granted primary custody of their children amid reports she and Blackstock weren’t seeing eye to eye “due to issues of trust between them,” People notes. Aside from their kids, the couple’s Montana ranch also emerged as a major sticking point in the divorce. Although a judge ruled in favor of Clarkson in October 2021, stating that the ranch fell under the terms of their prenuptial agreement and thus belonged to her, Blackstock, who was still living there, argued that it should be considered marital property.

At the time, a source told Us Weekly that Clarkson was determined to fight Blackstock and “is devoting 100 percent of any free time she has preparing for the [divorce] trial.” However, she and Blackstock ultimately reached a settlement, agreeing on joint custody of their two kids and a $1.3 million lump-sum payment from Clarkson to Blackstock (plus monthly child support). Their divorce was finalized in March 2022, following months of intense legal back-and-forth.

Later, Clarkson appeared on Angie Martinez’s “IRL” podcast, where she spoke openly about the drawn-out and painful process. “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,” said Clarkson. “Like anyone that’s been divorced [knows]. That was years trying to make… not make it work, ’cause I never wanted to be part of something to ‘make it work,'” she added. “I wanted to make it beautiful. I wanted to make it awesome.”

Kelly Clarkson got many warnings about Brandon Blackstock prior to their 2020 divorce, but the singer and talk show host chose to ignore the red flags. From disagreements on expanding their family to clashes in their personalities and lifestyles, it was only a matter of time before their marriage crumbled. A source told Us Weekly after their breakup, “Everyone thought Kelly and Brandon had the perfect marriage, but they definitely didn’t. Brandon’s very laid-back, whereas Kelly’s pretty high-strung.” On top of that, Clarkson’s increasingly demanding schedule — including hosting her talk show and coaching “The Voice” — also reportedly put a strain on their relationship, especially with Blackstock having preferred a simpler life for them in Nashville. “When she went to Hollywood, it changed things,” the insider added.

Another factor in the couple’s split was being confined under one roof during the COVID-19 quarantine. Clarkson was surprisingly honest about their struggles during lockdown while chatting with People in May 2020. “We’ve been in really close quarters and it’s been kind of nuts. I’m not going to lie,” the “Because of You” singer admitted. “There’s definitely some cabin fever going on. It’s challenging being a working mom.” Unfortunately, the stress of quarantine only intensified the tension that was already simmering under the surface.

In any divorce, it’s always the children who suffer the most in the emotional tug-of-war between two parents, just as it did for Kelly Clarkson’s kids with Brandon Blackstock. The singer has been open about how their messy divorce has impacted their children, River and Remington, who were just 6 and 4, respectively, when they split. “I literally asked my kids every night when we’re snuggling up in the bed, ‘Are you happy? And if you’re not, what could make you happier?'” Clarkson shared on Angela Martinez’s “IRL” podcast. “A lot of times it would be like, ‘You know, I’m just really sad. I wish Mommy and Daddy were in the same house.'”

As a product of divorced parents, it’s a pain Clarkson knows all too well. But all she could really do was try to comfort them. “I just sit there and I’m like, ‘I get it. … That sucks,'” she said. “‘But we’re going to work it out. And you are so loved by both of us.'” Still, she understands that no matter what she tells her kids, it doesn’t change how they feel about their parents separating. “Your kids will still have a hard time,” Clarkson stressed on the podcast “We Can Do Hard Things.” In fact, “I am still having conversations [with my kids] three years later.”

The three-time Grammy winner also got candid on how she really feels about co-parenting with Blackstock during an appearance on “Not Gonna Lie” podcast with Kylie Kelce months before his death. “It’s like, ‘Oh, he couldn’t come… Okay cool.’ What, do you think I just leave and just sit in the park all day?” Clarkson argued. “There’s a lot that I keep in. Because co-parenting is fun,” she added sarcastically.