Kelly Clarkson's Behavior Before Her Ex's Death Was A Harrowing Clue
Kelly Clarkson's behavior before her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock's death was a major clue that something was awry at home. Blackstock's death was announced on August 7, but Clarkson's pattern of behavior in the months leading up to his passing, in hindsight, suggests something was deeply wrong within her inner circle. For example, Clarkson ditched filming her uber-popular talk show, "The Kelly Clarkson Show," for several tapings before eventually postponing her Las Vegas Residency, the latter of which didn't go over well with fans. At the time, fans with tickets expressed their disappointment over Clarkson's absence on Reddit without knowing the true cause of her cancellations.
@modestishottest4u I love how raw and real she is. What a phenomenal performance she put on for us. #kellyclarkson #lasvegas #cesarspalace #piecebypiece #studiosessions #kellyclarksonlasvegas
As more details about Blackstock's death emerged, hindsight became even clearer. Clarkson also broke down on stage while singing "Piece By Piece," a song originally inspired by Blackstock, which also referenced her troubled relationship with her father, during one of her July 2025 concerts. And while the song has a history of making her emotional (especially during one of her debut performances of the track on "American Idol" in 2016), it's clear from the fan-uploaded video that the beloved singer was dealing with particularly heavy emotions on this day as she burst out into tears onstage. Clarkson has yet to confirm that Blackstock's declining health was the reason for her emotional performance, but that is the conclusion that her fans have come to.
Understandably, Blackstock's death has been taking a toll on Clarkson.
How Kelly Clarkson is faring in the wake of Brandon Blackstock's death
Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock's post-divorce relationship was reportedly quite contentious after they spent years in court fighting over custody, child support arrangements, and property. But Clarkson was still affected by Blackstock's heartbreaking final days. According to Us Weekly, Blackstock's condition "changed their perspectives," especially Clarkson's. "She is their [children's] primary parent. But this was catastrophic for them, so immediately Kelly went into mom mode and focused on the kids and how they were coping," shared an insider. They also revealed that Clarkson "made a lot of concessions" to make sure her two children with Blackstock could spend their last moments with their father. "They have had a bunch of family events in the past months that she allowed her kids to be present for," added the insider. "She felt it was important."
Apparently, Clarkson's grief is connected to her children having to grow up without a father, just as she did. "Kelly's biggest fear during the divorce was that her kids would grow up feeling distant from their father," a source shared with Page Six. "She always wanted to spare them that. She's devastated for them." The source also confirmed that Clarkson didn't allow their divorce to get in the way of allowing her kids to have access to Blackstock. "Absolutely none of that ever changed Kelly's bottom line: her kids deserved to grow up having a wonderful relationship with their dad," they continued, adding, "[Blackstock's death] will change them forever, and it's a tragedy that has just wrecked [Clarkson]. Brandon didn't turn out to be the best husband for her or the best person to try to separate from easily or amicably, but he was always a very good dad who adored his kids."
