Kelly Clarkson and her late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock's private romance captivated fans for years until their split in 2020. The American Idol alum and the talent manager began dating in 2011 and things moved pretty quickly from then. The couple announced their engagement in December 2012 and tied the knot less than one year later. Clarkson welcomed the pair's first child together, daughter River, in June 2014. She went on to give birth to son Remington in April 2016. (Blackstock also shares daughter Savannah and son Seth with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth.) After nearly seven years together, Clarkson and Blackstock's marriage came to an end when the Voice coach filed for divorce in June 2020. The twosome were later declared legally single in August 2021. The following March, a judge signed off on their settlement. Five years after their split, Clarkson announced via Instagram in August 2025 that she had to postpone the remainder of her Las Vegas residency, revealing that Blackstock had been "ill" over the past year and she needed to be there for their children. A rep for the family told Us Weekly the following day that Blackstock had died at 48 years old after battling cancer for more than three years. Scroll through the gallery below to look back at Clarkson and Blackstock's relationship through the years: