Talent agent Brandon Blackstock, who was the ex-husband of pop star Kelly Clarkson and the father of their two children, died Thursday after losing his battle with melanoma.
Butte-Silver Bow County coroner Dan Hollis confirmed Blackstock’s cause of death to The Times on Monday. He also confirmed that Blackstone died at his home in Montana under hospice care and surrounded by his family, as first reported by People. The coroner said Blackstock’s manner of death was natural causes.
The official cause of death clarifies information shared by Blackstock’s family, who announced his death last week in a statement shared with The Times and on social media. Blackstock “bravely battled cancer for more than three years,” the statement said, not giving specifics. Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer that first affects cells that help produce pigment for skin color, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Blackstock’s family announced his death shortly after Clarkson postponed four August shows in her Studio Sessions residency in Las Vegas for personal reasons. She wrote in an Instagram post that “this past year, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.”
Clarkson and Blackstock married in 2013 and split in 2020, finalizing their divorce in 2022. They share a daughter and a son. Blackstock also had two children from his first marriage.
Since her ex-husband’s death, footage of Clarkson wiping away tears during a July 26 show in Las Vegas resurfaced on social media. In the video, the “American Idol” alumna reflects on the changes she had on her song “Piece by Piece,” which she first wrote about Blackstock.
As she tells her audience about rewriting a more mature version of the number she turns away, seemingly overcome with emotion. “I’m really trying to pull it together,” Clarkson says, later wiping her eyes as fans cheer.
“Screw it, let’s just sing it. This is ‘Piece by Piece,’” she says, carrying on.
It’s unclear when Clarkson will make up the postponed August shows, but she has several performances scheduled for November, according to her website. The 18-show residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace was announced in February and kicked off on the Fourth of July.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
