Kelly Clarkson Reportedly Pausing ‘The Voice’ to ‘Heal’ After Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock’s Death
Kelly Clarkson will be stepping away from The Voice as she grieves the loss of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.
According to The U.S. Sun, Clarkson will miss several season 29 tapings later this month.
The NBC series is filming a revamped format titled The Voice: Battle of Champions, with Clarkson joined by fellow coaches John Legend and Adam Levine.
“Kelly will not be at the tapings scheduled next week for Thursday and Friday,” an insider explained.
They continued, “Production is working on a replacement coach for her now.”
Prioritizing Family
Clarkson, 42, shares two children — River and Remington — with Blackstock.
As she takes time to mourn, the “Keeping Score” singer is also helping her kids transition into their new school year.
“Kelly, especially, needs a lot of time to heal,” the source added, noting that the show’s crew and producers are treating both Clarkson and Reba McEntire — Blackstock’s stepmother and a current The Voice coach — “like family.”
“They don’t owe the show anything right now. Whatever they want, the show will give them,” the insider continued.
Reba McEntire Also Impacted
Because seasons 28 and 29 are filming simultaneously, Blackstock’s passing has affected both productions.
McEntire, who serves as a coach on Season 28 (premiering this fall), is also expected to miss some of her scheduled Knockout round tapings in the weeks ahead.
“She considered Brandon her son, not a stepson but her son,” the source said.
It’s unclear when McEntire will return to filming, though production is said to be “working around her schedule, not the other way around.”
Brandon Blackstock’s Death
Blackstock died on Thursday, August 7, 2025, after a three-year battle with melanoma. He was 48.
The Silver Bow County coroner confirmed he died of natural causes at his home in Butte, Mont., surrounded by family.
In addition to his two children with Clarkson, Blackstock had two other children, Savannah and Seth, from a previous marriage.
He and Clarkson married in 2013 before divorcing in 2022.
Famous Singers from The Voice, Then + Now
Ten years (and counting) made a huge difference for many of the most popular singers and stars of The Voice. Blake Shelton looks noticeably different, but so do some of country music’s most memorable performers.
Winners like Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery wore baby faces when they auditioned during their respective seasons. The same can be said for Morgan Wallen, a forgotten castmember from the show who’s transformed more than anyone else on this list of The Voice stars then and now.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
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