Is Kelly Clarkson's Ex Sick? Everything We Know About His Reported Health Issues

Kelly Clarkson has proven herself a jack of all trades since the inception of her eponymous talk show. Helming "The Kelly Clarkson Show" since 2019, Clarkson has welcomed a variety of celebrity guests to her cozy set. However, in March and April 2025, many of those guests — including Simu Liu, Josh Groban, Wanda Sykes, Roy Wood Jr., and Brooke Shields — temporarily inherited the hosting position upon Clarkson's mysterious absence. Amid rumors that she was quitting the show, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Clarkson's time away from filming was due to a "sudden family emergency." Reports have since suggested it had to do with her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.

Without going into much detail, an insider told NewsNation at the time that Blackstock had fallen ill and Clarkson "took the kids to see him." Although it's public knowledge that the ex-couple has not had an easy go at co-parenting since they split in 2020, the source noted, "He is still the children's father." Another source alluded to Blackstock's health issues, after laying bare Clarkson's reaction to NBC's full support of her temporary leave to Life & Style. "It's made a really hard time a lot easier because she can focus on the most important thing, which is her family," they said. "For all their problems, Brandon is still her kids' dad, so this really impacted them."

Kelly Clarkson's life after her divorce has been nothing if not complicated, with Brandon Blackstock's role as her talent manager only adding to the legal woes. In 2020, the "Stronger" hitmaker filed for divorce, which dramatically played out in the courtroom until it was officially finalized in 2022. Clarkson was awarded primary custody of her children, River and Remy, but has to pay a hefty sum of $45,000 in child support to Blackstock every month, according to The Blast. In 2024, Clarkson sued Blackstock and his company, Starstruck Entertainment, for California labor violations while he was acting as her manager, per People. The labor commissioner ruled that Blackstock pay Clarkson $2.6 million, which Blackstock appealed. According to the outlet, the exes settled the lawsuit before going to trial.

Clarkson hasn't been quiet about her tumultuous relationship with Blackstock. Performing on her talk show in 2023, she changed the lyrics to Gayle's "abcdefu" to: "Forget you and your dad and the fact that you got half / And my broken heart, turn that s*** into art / Forget you, and your friends that I'll never see again / Everybody but your dog, you can all get lost" (via YouTube). The "American Idol" alum told People she used music as her outlet for healing; her 2023 album "Chemistry" was the perfect post-divorce revenge. Clarkson said the album's release "[was] like, 'I'm taking my power back.'" However, it seems Clarkson has pushed her qualms with Blackstock aside to be there for him during what sounds like a difficult time.