She has been grappling with the loss of her ex-husband, talent manager Brandon Blackstock, after he passed away aged 48 following a three-year battle with skin cancer.

And now, insiders reveal that in the wake of the heartbreaking news, Kelly Clarkson could turn her back on the entertainment industry for a quieter life with the two children she shares with her late ex, daughter River, 11, and son Remy, nine.

‘Kelly is walking around in a thick fog right now – she’s absolutely shattered and in no place to be performing on stage or hosting her show,’ a source says. ‘That may change soon – it’s a day-by-day situation – but what’s more important than anything else to her right now is protecting and nurturing her kids. Kelly is pouring the small amount of energy she has right now into looking after them.’

A representative for the Blackstock family announced Brandon’s death with a statement which read, ‘It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away. 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.’

Just a day before Brandon’s death, the singer, 43, announced to her 7.9 million Instagram followers that the remainder of her August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas would be postponed.

She explained, ‘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.’

Now, the insider adds that talk show host Kelly has asked TV bosses and concert organisers for ‘as much time as they can spare’ in order for her to take care of the formalities, and rest and recuperate.

‘Then she’ll see where she’s at afterwards,’ the source continues. ‘It’s likely to cost her an absolute fortune due to all the costly postponements but that’s the least of her troubles right now. A big part of her would be happier quitting New York and starting a whole new life in the countryside instead. She’s tired of the rat race and just wants to be a mum.’

Kelly – who found fame more than two decades ago after winning the inaugural season of American Idol in 2002 – first met Brandon in the mid-noughties when his father, Narvel Blackstock, served as her manager. After their initial encounter at the Academy of Country Music Awards, they didn’t reconnect until the Super Bowl in February 2012, and they got engaged 10 months later. They tied the knot in October 2013, Brandon’s second nuptials after previously being married to Melissa Ashworth, the mother to his two older children, Savannah, 23 – who is expecting a second child of her own – and Seth, 18.

Piece by Piece songstress Kelly filed for divorce during COVID in June 2020 after almost seven years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Five months later, she was granted primary physical custody of River and Remy, while she and Brandon shared joint legal custody. Court documents stated that ‘the level of conflict between the parents [had] increased’ and that they had ‘a difficult time co-parenting due to issues of trust between them’.

Their divorce – finalised in March 2022 – was notoriously convoluted and acrimonious. The exes butted heads over their Montana ranch, with Kelly losing a legal battle to evict Brandon in January 2022, and the following year, he was ordered to cough up more than $2 million for unlawfully procuring deals as her manager – a role he stepped into after becoming her husband. In March 2024, Kelly filed a new lawsuit against her former spouse and management company Starstruck, alleging that she may be entitled to even more money. Both sides withdrew their cases two months later.

‘Kelly and Brandon’s relationship was extremely complex, but they found a way to make peace in the final years of his life,’ the insider now shares. ‘Despite all the hostility and legal warfare that dragged on for years after the divorce, they managed to put all that to one side and forge an effective co-parenting relationship – even before Brandon got sick. She’s absolutely crushed that he’s gone so soon and still can’t believe it’s the new reality she’s dealing with. Her heart absolutely aches for the kids to have lost their dad.’

Brandon’s tragic passing comes amid Kelly’s manic work schedule. She is due to return for the seventh season of The Kelly Clarkson Show next month, and she is a coach on the upcoming instalment of The Voice – the audition segment for which she is reported to have already filmed.

The source reveals that her TV bosses have been extremely supportive, saying, ‘They’ve told her to take as long as she needs to grieve and take care of things at home, but ultimately business is business, so she needs to make a decision on whether or not she can commit to her show moving forward. It requires her to live and work in New York City full-time, which has been taxing, especially with the kids needing their mum and the non-stop nature that comes with living and working in the Big Apple. The hours are brutal, and her free time is non-existent, so it’s understandable why she’s thinking very seriously about a new quieter way of life.’

As Kelly is inundated with condolences online from celebrity friends and fans alike, the source adds that it’s so hard for her loved ones to see her suffer like she is.

They say, ‘The one ray of positivity in all this is that Kelly’s proved herself as one of the most compassionate, selfless people in showbiz who’s got a heart of absolute gold. All her loved ones want to see now is her taking care of herself and not running herself into the ground by taking on too much.’