Kelly Clarkson talk show absence was because of Brandon Blackstock’s illness

Kelly Clarkson absence from her talk show in the spring was due to ex-husband Brandon Blackstock’s illness, sources tell PEOPLE.

The news comes the same day that a rep for his family told Entertainment Weekly that Blackstock, 48, had died of cancer. He and Clarkson were married in 2013, and she filed for divorce in 2020, after the births of children River, 11, and Remy, 9.

The “Stronger” singer missed multiple episodes of The Kelly Clarkson Show in the spring, with Simu Liu, Brooke Shields, and Wanda Sykes among the celebrities who filled in for her.

Clarkson later postponed the opening of her residency in Las Vegas. The event was scheduled to begin early last month, but the American Idol alum said that she had overworked her voice during rehearsals.

She ended up beginning the residency at the Colosseum Caesars Palace a week later.

The Grammy winner called off the residency for the rest of the month, however, on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,” she wrote late Wednesday on X. “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.”

EW has reached out to reps for both Clarkson and her show, which premiered in 2019.

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PEOPLE’s source said that Clarkson had been fully supportive of Blackstock, from whom she had a rocky split.

“When she found out that he was sick, she remained protective of him for their sake,” the source told the magazine. “Kelly has always tried to keep things classy. It became clear earlier this year that Brandon was not doing well. She’s been devastated for the kids.”

So, although the divorce was “incredibly difficult for her,” she “always wanted her kids to have the best relationship possible with their dad.”