Cause of Death of Kelly Clarkson’s Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock Revealed by Coroner

The official cause of the death of talent manager Brandon Blackstock, the ex-husband of pop star and daytime television host Kelly Clarkson, was revealed by the local coroner on Monday.

Blackstock, who was married to the American Idol winner from 2013-22, was revealed last week to have died of cancer as initial reports about his death came out. On Monday, the Silver Bow County coroner announced that Blackstock died of melanoma, a form of skin cancer that had been present for three years. The professional talent manager died Aug. 7 at age 48.

“The cause of death was melanoma; the manner of death was natural,” Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollos told The Hollywood Reporter by phone Monday when asked about Blackstock. He reportedly died at home under hospice care surrounded by loved ones.

His death was initially announced by Blackstock’s management company, Starstruck, which was founded by his father, in a statement posted to its Instagram account: “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.”

Late on Wednesday, Clarkson had announced to her fans that she was postponing the August dates of her Las Vegas residency, citing that Blackstock “had been ill” as a reason. The vocal and TV mega-talent said that she needed “to be fully present” for their two children, whom they have been co-parenting for years. “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. I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding,” she said.

Leading up to the death of her ex-husband, with whom Clarkson has been co-parenting daughter River and son Remy since their divorce, she had missed the taping of several episodes of her hit eponymous talk show, prompting concern from fans. Clarkson and Blackstock first met at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 2006.

In addition to his children with Clarkson, Blackstock is survived by his two children from a previous marriage and one grandchild.