The Untold Truth Of Kelly Clarkson's Ex, Brandon Blackstock
Former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson surely thought that she'd found her happily-ever-after when she married Brandon Blackstock in 2013. Frankly, the singer was enamored with him from the start, even "experienc[ing] love at first sight," according to The Oprah Magazine. The star told Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS-FM show in 2012 (via E! News), "We were just in a room together, and then he came up and said he was from the same hometown as me and I was like, 'Oh, we're so getting married.' I was so that girl."
Unfortunately for Clarkson, Blackstock was married to another woman at the time, but that didn't stop the singer from thinking about him. "I'd go on dates and be like, 'Man, I didn't get that feeling I got that one time [with Brandon]," she admitted to People in 2013. Eventually, the pair found love together and welcomed two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander, who made them a family of six along with Blackstock's children from his first marriage, Savannah and Seth.
However, on June 11, 2020, Us Weekly confirmed that the star and Blackstock were getting a divorce after almost seven years of marriage. So who is the man that first captured Clarkson's heart before their relationship eventually fell apart?
Brandon Blackstock is Reba McEntire's former step-son
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock run in the same entertainment industry circle thanks to the fact that she's a singer and he's a talent manager. Coincidentally, one of Blackstock's "longtime client[s]" is Blake Shelton, Clarkson's fellow judge on The Voice, according to The Oprah Magazine. While they're in the same industry, Clarkson and Blackstock may not have found love together if it wasn't for Brandon's father, Narvel Blackstock.
While the "Because of You" performer and the man who was to become her husband (and then ex-husband) first met at the ACM Awards in 2006, Oprah Mag explains that Narvel, who is also a talent agent and the founder of Starstruck Entertainment, "re-introduced Clarkson and his son in 2012 when she was gearing up to perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl." At that point, Brandon was reportedly divorced from his first wife. Way to play matchmaker, dad!
While that's certainly a sweet detail, what's even cooler is the fact that Narvel was married to Reba McEntire for 26 years, which means that she was Brandon's step-mom and Kelly's stepmother-in-law. Sadly, Reba and Narvel's marriage ended in divorce, just like Kelly and Brandon's did.
Kelly Clarkson admired Brandon Blackstock's work ethic
Kelly Clarkson is an extremely hardworking star, which explains why she found great success in her career and has won multiple Grammy Awards. However, a year before she tied the knot with Brandon Blackstock in 2013, the singer revealed to the Daily Mail that Blackstock might work even more "crazy-hard" than she does, which is saying something.
Although busy schedules can put a strain on a marriage — and may have done so in Clarkson and Blackstock's case, for all we know — at the time, the star felt like their demanding careers helped the relationship. "[He] doesn't get in a mood if I can't always call when I say I will," she explained. She then expressed some enthusiasm about what that compatibility meant for their future, saying, "I've got high hopes."
So did the couple's successful careers eventually overshadow their romance? That's not clear, but it's obvious Blackstock excels at being a talent manager. He even managed Clarkson at one point, although we're not sure if that's still the case.
"I wouldn't have hired Brandon to be my manager if I didn't see firsthand how great he is at that and how much he cares about Blake [Shelton]," Clarkson told TODAY in 2018 about her ex's skills. "And the way that (Blake's) career has blown up, I would have hired Brandon regardless."
Brandon Blackstock has an impressive hobby
When picking up a new hobby, you might consider things like jogging, thrifting, or baking sourdough bread. But when it comes to celebrities, their side interests are often pricey and extravagant. Brandon Blackstock is no exception to this phenomenon, and when this talent manager isn't inking deals backstage for his clients, he's cruising around the sky.
"Congrats @brandonblackstock on your new plane," Clarkson captioned a June 2018 Instagram photo of her then-husband standing in front of a shiny plane. Adding that she "married Maverick y'all," the star explained that "he's been flying for years and finally bought himself a @cirrusaircraft," adding the hashtags #dreams and #reality, as well as #sexyandheknowsit. Blackstock also shared some shots of his Cirrus SR22T and all we can say is wow!
Maybe Clarkson was able to take so much joy in her then-husband's new plane because it helped her get over her fear of flying. "The first 15 minutes I was like, 'I'm never doing this again!' I had a Vulcan death grip on this joystick-looking thing," she joked to People in 2013 about her first flying lesson in Blackstock's aircraft. But somehow by the lesson's end, she "was sold."
We guess the singer will have to buy her own plane now that she and Blackstock are kaput. And given Kelly Clarkson's sizable net worth, it's safe to say she can afford the purchase.