Reba McEntire said Kelly Clarkson’s children are "doing well" and leaning on one another after the death of their father, Brandon Blackstock.
"The kids are doing well, they’re all bonding together and hanging out with each other, and taking it one day at a time," McEntire, who was married to Blackstock’s father Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015, told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmy Awards. She added, "We miss him. We miss him every minute," and said, "We know God’s got this."
Clarkson, 43, and Blackstock, 48, were married from 2013 to 2022 and share two children: daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, 9. Blackstock was also the father of two older children from a previous relationship, Savannah, 23, and Seth, 18.
Page Six and other outlets reported that Blackstock died Aug. 7 after quietly battling melanoma for about three years. A family representative said he "passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family," and asked for privacy as the family grieves. An insider told Page Six that Blackstock had been in hospice prior to his death.
McEntire marked Blackstock’s death on Instagram at the time, writing that her "stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God" and that his "struggle is over and he is in eternal peace in God’s presence." She added that his "legacy and laughter will be carried on through his family. Rest in peace cowboy. Happy trails to you til we meet again."
Clarkson, a former American Idol winner and pop star, largely stepped away from public life following Blackstock’s death. She postponed several Las Vegas residency dates in August and was photographed arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug. 23 as she continued to spend time with family. Reports say Clarkson helped care for Blackstock in his final days despite a highly publicized, contentious divorce and related legal disputes with her ex-husband.
McEntire, who described herself as an "ex-stepmom" of Blackstock, provided the update as the family continues to mourn. The family representative’s request for privacy remains in place as relatives grieve and the children adapt to life without their father.