LOS ANGELES: The official cause of death for Brandon Blackstock — the ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson and father of her two children — has been confirmed as natural causes related to melanoma.
Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis told People that the 48-year-old talent manager passed away peacefully at his home in Butte, Montana, on 7 August.
He was under hospice care and was surrounded by his family.
Blackstock’s representative had previously confirmed his death in a statement, revealing he had been battling melanoma, a type of skin cancer, for over three years.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” the statement read.
“Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family.”
Just a day before the announcement, Clarkson postponed the remaining dates of her Las Vegas residency in August, citing her ex-husband’s illness.
“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,” she wrote on Instagram, thanking her fans for their kindness and understanding.
During her Las Vegas show on July 26, Clarkson became visibly emotional while introducing her 2015 ballad ‘Piece By Piece’. Wiping away tears, the Grammy-winning singer told the audience: “Compartmentalisation, I’m really trying to pull it together.”
Clarkson and Blackstock married in 2013 and had two children together: daughter River, born in 2014, and son Remington, born in 2016.
Clarkson filed for divorce in 2020, and the split was finalised in 2022 after a highly publicised legal battle.
Before his marriage to Clarkson, Blackstock was married to Melissa Ashworth from 2001 to 2012, with whom he had a daughter, Savannah, 23, and a son, Seth, 18.
At the time of his passing, he was expecting his third grandchild.
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