What kind of cancer did Brandon Blackstock have? Perez Hilton breaks down over Kelly Clarkson’s ex’s death, says it’s “not fair” to their kids

Brandon Blackstock, the ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson, died on August 7 at the age of 48. According to a report by TMZ, Blackstock had been battling melanoma, a form of skin cancer, for over three years. Pop culture commentator and podcaster Perez Hilton has since reacted to the news of his passing.

While reporting on Brandon Blackstock’s death in his August 7 YouTube video, Perez Hilton appeared emotional and choked back tears.

"The reason I'm just so sad is really because of their children. Kelly's kids with Brandon are just eleven and nine years old. And now to go through life, having such a loss at such a young age, it's not fair... In addition to having two kids with Kelly, he also had two children from a previous relationship. And my heart goes out to them as well," Hilton said.

On August 6, Kelly Clarkson announced the postponement of her Las Vegas residency. Perez Hilton reported on the development, noting that this year had been “very difficult” for Clarkson. Perez Hilton added that, while announcing the break from her Vegas shows, Clarkson shared the reason with fans, even though she “didn’t have to.”

In her August 6 Instagram post, Kelly Clarkson revealed that her ex-husband was ill, without providing additional details. She cited this as the reason for postponing her upcoming shows.

"Obviously, he was sick enough for her to make this decision, which I'm sure cancelling all of her August shows, and there was a good amount of them, that was not something that Kelly took lightly," Perez Hilton said.

Perez Hilton said that although there was a "messy split" between Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson, there was a "lot of love" for a "good amount of time." He concluded by saying that this won't be "easy" for Clarkson and extended his condolences.

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A look at Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock's relationship

Brandon Blackstock with Kelly Clarkson and his children (Image via Getty)

According to People, Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock met in 2006 during the Academy of Country Music Awards. The two became engaged in 2012 and were married in October 2013. The couple had two children together, a son, Remington Alexander, and a daughter, River Rose.

"I've only had three other boyfriends that I dated, and not really seriously. This guy walks by, making everybody laugh. I said, 'I'm gonna end up with him. I know it," Clarkson said in an interview with PEOPLE in 2013.

However, behind the scenes, the relationship faced challenges, and Kelly Clarkson filed for divorce from Brandon Blackstock in 2020. In November of that year, Clarkson was granted primary physical custody of their children.

According to People, she was also ordered to pay $200,000 per month in combined spousal and child support.

Although Clarkson had separated from the music manager, she recently postponed her shows, citing her ex-husband’s health. On August 6, while apologizing to fans who had purchased tickets, she wrote on Instagram,

"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."

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Brandon Blackstock also shared two children, Seth and Savannah, with his ex-wife, Melissa Ashworth.