Everything Kelly Clarkson has said about the relationship and divorce from her ex-husband

Kelly Clarkson has shared details over the years about her relationship and divorce from ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, who passed away yesterday.

Brandon Blackstock had been privately battling cancer for over three years. He died at the age of 48. A source told PEOPLE that Clarkson is devastated for her kids after their father’s death. She postponed several shows from her Las Vegas residency to be there for her kids earlier this week.

Reportedly, when Clarkson found out that he was sick, she remained “protective of him” for their children’s sake. The source also revealed that even when their divorce was really hard in 2020, Clarkson never said bad things about Blackstock to their kids.

So, here’s everything Kelly Clarkson has said about her relationship and divorce from her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.

So, what has she said about their relationship?

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Clarkson and Blackstock’s relationship began long before they married in 2013. She first noticed him backstage at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006 and immediately felt a connection. “I’m like, ‘Like that guy, hot, normal and funny,’” Clarkson told PEOPLE in 2013. Even though Blackstock was married at the time, Clarkson said she knew early on that she would “end up with him.”

The couple reconnected years later at the 2012 Super Bowl, both newly single, and their relationship blossomed quickly. By early 2013, Clarkson described being “madly in love”. “I didn’t know life could be this happy,” she said. She even took flying lessons for him, joking about her initial nervousness but ultimately falling for him completely.

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In interviews, Clarkson has spoken openly about how strong her attraction to Blackstock was. In 2017, she revealed that she had never felt that kind of sexual attraction before meeting him. “I honestly thought I was asexual — I’d never been turned on like that in my whole life. I was like, ‘Oh that’s that feeling … OK! That’s what they were talking about in Waiting to Exhale. I just got it.’”

Clarkson has described the proposal simple yet very heartfelt. Along with marrying Blackstock, she embraced a blended family, bonding with his two children from a previous marriage, Savannah and Seth. She described them as “so awesome” and later welcomed her and Brandon’s two children together, River and Remington.

Clarkson credited Blackstock with encouraging her to take on new challenges, including launching The Kelly Clarkson Show. She said he was “really good at pointing out things that will push me out of my comfort zone,” making them strong partners in life and work.

So, what has she said about their divorce?

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Despite the love they shared, Clarkson and Blackstock’s marriage ended in divorce, which Clarkson has described as “difficult,” “messy,” and “really, really hard.” She filed for divorce in 2020 after nearly seven years of marriage. While she hasn’t publicly given specific reasons for their split, Clarkson has been open about the emotional impact it had on her. During their divorce, she had said that her life felt “a little bit of a dumpster” during that time.

“It just came out of nowhere,” a source close to the couple told PEOPLE. “Their marriage was so strong.”

Even after their separation, Clarkson stayed deeply committed to their blended family. She always regarded Brandon’s children from his previous marriage as her own and prioritised maintaining strong relationships for the sake of all their kids. By 2023, she poured her feelings into her music. She called her album “very therapeutic”. She said, “You feel alone and it’s just a blessing to be able to have that outlet for those emotions that are overwhelming.” Her whole record was “basically every emotion you experience from the beginning of a relationship to the end of what it is now”.

In April 2023, she said that her feelings hadn’t gone away completely. On The Kelly Clarkson Show, she said, “It’s hard. I think it’s the most ridiculous thing sometimes when something doesn’t work out and you’re in a relationship and you’re so deeply in love. I think I might always love that person, I don’t know if it goes away.”

Clarkson has also accepted the reality of their divorce. She stated in 2023 that she “never wants to get married again”. She also said, “I am not looking for a stepfather for my children.”

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