‘Few People’ Knew About Brandon Blackstock’s Battle with Cancer, Sources Say

The music manager sadly succumbed to the illness after quietly battling it for more than three years. His diagnosis was only made public following his passing.

It's becoming clearer than ever that, throughout her absences from her talk show, rumors she was stepping back from the NBC staple, and the postponement of her Las Vegas residency, Kelly Clarkson has been putting her family above everything.

"Kelly's work schedule has been difficult over the last few months as she needed to take care of her kids," a source told Us Weekly. "She needed the time off as her kids come first. It's terrible and sad."

The singer recently announced that she was postponing the August dates of her "Studio Sessions" shows on Wednesday, August 6, due to her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock's illness.

In her statement, she shared that she needed to be "fully present" for her kids, River, 11, and Remington, 9, whom she shares with the music manager. The next morning, he unfortunately passed away. He was 48.

"Kelly is a great mom and has needed to be there for her kids," the insider said, adding that "only a few people in Kelly's circle" and "a handful of her show's team" were aware of "what was going on behind the scenes" with Blackstock.

A family spokesperson announced his passing in a statement released through multiple media outlets. "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," the statement read.

"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," it concluded.