Kelly Clarkson Alludes To Ex-Husband's Death For First Time (& It's Class All The Way)

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Two months after the death of her ex-husband, talent manager Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson is opening up about her loss. On October 2, 2025, the "Since U Been Gone" singer alluded to her ex-husband's passing for the first time ever as she spoke with Lionel Richie about living with grief. "I do think a lot of people deal with grief in such a different way, but I love that you say, 'Grief is the great teacher of what matters most.' And I think, no matter how you deal with grief, it is very different for everyone," said Clarkson. "I do find that very, very true."

Clarkson was married to Blackstock for seven years, and together they have two children: daughter River Rose and son Remington Alexander. They had been separated for five years when Blackstock, 48, quietly lost his battle with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, in August 2025. Despite their tumultuous divorce, which involved a messy custody battle and tangled finances, Clarkson put her career on hold to be by his side during Blackstock's final days. She postponed the remainder of her Last Vegas residency and stayed in Montana to look after him and their children.

"There's an old expression where you go, 'It's real.' I mean, it's a real moment where you can't phone it in. But at the same time, we rehearse things. You can't rehearse grief," Richie, who was on the show to promote his new memoir, "Truly," said, prompting Clarkson to add, "It hits you in waves." She appeared to be visibly blown away when Richie told Clarkson, "If it hurts so badly, that means you love so deeply."

Kelly Clarkson's reflections about her loss and journey with grief drew warm responses and messages of support on social media. "I think Kelly needed this," one user wrote under a clip of her interview with Lionel Richie on Instagram. Another said in agreement: "Kelly's been through so much in the past 5 years. She deserves moments and wisdom like this." After her ex-husband died in August, a source close to Clarkson told People that she was heartbroken for their children. "It became clear earlier this year that Brandon was not doing well," the insider dished. "When she found out that he was sick, she remained protective of him for their sake." Even though she had every reason to be resentful, Clarkson didn't want their kids to get caught in the middle and harbor resentment toward their father. "She always wanted her kids to have the best relationship possible with their dad," the source adds. "She never spoke poorly about Brandon to the kids."

In the past, Clarkson has been candid about her messy divorce from Brandon Blackstock, stressing on Angie Martinez's "IRL" podcast that walking away wasn't a snap decision. She explained that she fought hard to save their marriage, but ultimately accepted they were better off going their separate ways. She also discussed how the divorce has impacted their children, admitting that watching them struggle has been the most painful part. "I just sit there and I'm like, I get it. I'm from a divorced family as well," said Clarkson. "I get it. That sucks."