Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, was in a relationship with her former assistant before his death, his obituary reveals.
According to the obituary, Blackstock – who died of melanoma earlier this month — was dating Brittney Marie Jones, who worked as a production assistant for the singer from 2016 to 2018, according to her LinkedIn profile.
“Brandon, along with his beautiful and loving partner in life and business, Brittney Marie Jones, started building a life, building companies, and working tirelessly to create Headwaters Livestock Auction and what will live on as his legacy, The Valley View Rodeo in Bozeman, Montana,” the statement reads.
After 20 years in the music industry, Blackstock “found his way back to the mountains and the cowboy way of life he always wanted to live” and moved to Butte, Montana.
The talent manager shared two children — River, 11, and Remington, nine — with Clarkson, and two children —Savannah, 23, and Seth, 18 — with his ex-wife, Melissa Ashworth.
“To say he was devoted seems cliché,” the obituary reads. “It feels like an overused word, but it is the correct word. He was a devoted father. His four children were and will always be his greatest love and his greatest legacy.”
A representative for Blackstock confirmed his death in a statement to People last week.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” their statement read. “Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time.”
Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis confirmed on Monday that Blackstock’s cause of death was melanoma, a form of skin cancer, and the manner of his death was natural causes.
Days before her ex-husband passed, Clarkson had postponed the remainder of her Las Vegas residency dates for August.
“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” the singer wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “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.”
Blackstock, stepson of country star Reba McEntire, was married to Clarkson from 2013 to 2022. When finalizing her divorce, Clarkson agreed to give a one-time payment of $1.3 million to her ex-husband, along with $45,601 a month for child support.
The “Stronger” singer has spoken candidly about ending the relationship in 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. During an appearance on the We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle podcast in 2023, she explained why she convinced herself to stay with Blackstock for as long as she did.
“I was like, ‘I can do this. I can handle so much,’” she said. “My ego is, ‘I can control my actions, I can control my reactions, I can do this and I can reach this person and I can get through.’ It becomes a little bit of your ego that gets in the way.”
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