Seth Blackstock Honors Late Dad Brandon: “I Lost My Hero” as Family Mourns Melanoma Battle
By Zoe Bennett. The facts matter. Here’s what we know so far.
Brandon Blackstock, the 48-year-old talent manager and former husband of Kelly Clarkson, died on August 7 after a more than three-year fight with melanoma, and his eldest son Seth, 18, publicly mourned with an emotional Instagram tribute that called his father his “best friend” and “hero.” The death was confirmed by the Silver Bow County coroner and reported by multiple outlets; family statements say Brandon passed peacefully at his home in Butte, Montana, surrounded by family while under hospice care.
In a heartfelt post on August 9, Seth shared six photos and a short but powerful message that captured grief, admiration, and a touch of the family’s outdoors roots. “I lost my hero yesterday,” he wrote, praising Brandon for raising him and his three siblings and signing off with a line that mixed humor and sorrow about hunting and fishing—”I can confidently say all the deer and elk took a sigh of relief when the best hunter I’ve ever known laid his rifle down for the last time.” Seth’s words, the images, and the date of his post are public and corroborated by social media activity and contemporaneous reporting.
Family confirmation of Brandon’s death was shared via a statement obtained by news outlets that noted his long cancer battle. The Silver Bow County coroner, Dan Hollis, provided official cause of death to People and other media, identifying melanoma as the cause and noting the location and circumstances of his passing. Those public confirmations align with the family’s request for privacy while they grieve.
The loss has ripple effects across a blended celebrity family. Brandon, who was married to singer Kelly Clarkson from 2013 until their divorce was finalized in 2022, is the father of two children with Clarkson—River, 11, and Remington, 9—and also fathered Seth and sister Savannah, 23, with his first wife, Melissa Ashworth. Kelly Clarkson postponed the remaining shows of her Las Vegas residency the day before Brandon’s death, citing the need to be present for her children because their father had been ill. Clarkson’s Instagram statement explained her decision and expressed regret to fans, a move covered by entertainment press and social feeds.
Legal and financial aspects of the former marriage remain part of the public record from prior reporting: the divorce filings and settlement gave Clarkson primary custody of the children and included spousal and child support arrangements that were reported by major outlets. These details are part of the documented backdrop to the family dynamic but do not diminish the personal grief evident in statements from relatives.
Relatives issued statements of their own. Shelby Blackstock, Brandon’s half-brother, described the family’s sorrow and emphasized the personal qualities that made Brandon beloved—his humor, brightness, and devotion to family. Insiders also told reporters that Clarkson had been protective of Brandon for their children’s sake as his condition worsened earlier in the year. Those accounts came via interviews and are consistent with the timeline of public statements and concert cancellations.
This moment is both a private family tragedy and a public one because of the individuals involved. Seth’s social post provides a direct window into the son’s grief and reverence and has been shared and cited by multiple news organizations. The coroner’s confirmation and the family statement provide the factual framework around the cause, timing, and circumstances of Brandon’s death.
What to watch next: the family’s plans for memorial services, any further public statements from Kelly Clarkson or Blackstock relatives, and whether additional details about Brandon’s illness timeline or treatment will be disclosed. For now, the public record shows a family asking for privacy while grieving a figure who occupied both private and public roles.
That wraps up today’s analysis. More updates will follow as details emerge.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, People Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
