Kelly Clarkson is returning to work on her talk show less than two months after mourning the death of ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.
NBC announced on Wednesday, September 3, that The Kelly Clarkson Show will begin production on season 7 starting the week of Monday, September 8.
The network revealed in a press release that the new season will premiere on Monday, September 29, from the show’s New York City studio.
Clarkson’s talk show return comes less than two months after Blackstock died at the age of 48 following a three-year battle with cancer. (Clarkson and Blackstock welcomed daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9, before divorcing in 2020.)
“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. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family,” a rep for the family told Us Weekly in a statement on August 7. “We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”
One day prior, Clarkson announced the postponement of her Las Vegas residency, revealing that Blackstock was suffering from an illness.
“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,” Clarkson said in a statement via Instagram on August 6. “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows, and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Brandon Blackstock Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Blackstock was married to Melissa Ashworth from 2001 to 2012, welcoming daughter Savannah in 2002 and son Seth in 2006. Brandon moved on with Clarkson — who was previously managed by his father, Narvel Blackstock — in February 2012.
The American Idol winner wed Brandon in October 2013. They were married nearly seven years before Clarkson filed for divorce in June 2020. Following a lengthy legal battle the pair finalized their divorce in March 2022.
Kelly Clarkson kept her children front of mind while navigating her late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock‘s secret cancer battle, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Even though they went through an acrimonious divorce, Kelly made a conscious decision to protect Brandon’s privacy until the very end for the sake of their family,” the source explains. “He’d […]
In August, the Silver Bow County Coroner Dan Hollis told Us that Brandon died from melanoma, a form of skin cancer, ruling the manner of death as natural causes. Brandon passed away at his home in Butte, Montana, while under hospice care. His obituary revealed he had a “loving partner” in girlfriend Brittney Marie Jones.
While Clarkson has yet to publicly address Brandon’s death, a source exclusively told Us in August that it’s been “draining, exhausting, emotional [and] devastating,” for her throughout his diagnosis and untimely death.
“A big part of it was making her schedule available for transporting the children to visit Brandon, and all of the emotions that came with this difficult time,” the insider told Us on August 8 of the toll Brandon’s private health battle took on Clarkson, whose talk show was on hiatus at the time. “Kelly is a workhorse. Hard work is all she knows. She hates disappointing people, truly. The thing that kept her going was knowing how many people depend on her, like her crews and employees.”
The source noted that while Clarkson’s “kids will come first,” she would “find a way” to resume working when possible. “She loves her work, but nothing compares to a situation like this,” the insider told Us.
A few weeks later, Clarkson returned to Instagram to share a promotional poster for the four-part series Songs & Stories With Kelly Clarkson, which premiered on August 19.
Days later, Clarkson was spotted arriving at LAX airport in California on August 23. It was the first time she was seen in the wake of the tragedy.
Now, Clarkson is preparing for the return of The Kelly Clarkson Show, which in its first week will “spotlight the heroes who rescued campers from the devastating flood in Texas in July,” per the NBC press release.
The musician was previously set to perform at a benefit concert for the Texas flood victims in August but canceled after Brandon’s death. “Unfortunately, Kelly Clarkson will be unable to appear at Band Together Texas as planned, due to personal circumstances,” the official account for the fundraising concert read on August 11. “We send our love to Kelly and her family.”
Kelly Clarkson has resumed filming season 29 of The Voice after taking a brief absence to mourn the loss of ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. Deadline reported on Tuesday, August 19, that Clarkson, 43, returned as a coach for the NBC music competition show alongside Adam Levine and John Legend. Per the outlet, Clarkson missed one episode […]
The fundraiser benefited the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country and Central Texas Community Foundation after a severe flood claimed the lives of 130 people in the Hill Country region of the state in July.
In addition to honoring the heroes from the natural disaster, season 7 of The Kelly Clarkson Show will include guests Emily Blunt, Marion Cotillard, Colin Farrell, Scarlett Johansson, Dwayne Johnson, Matthew McConaughey, Lionel Richie and Julia Roberts.
NBC announced on Wednesday that Shonda Rhimes, Margot Robbie, Sylvester Stallone, Channing Tatum and Reese Witherspoon are all set to appear on the talk show this season.
The Kelly Clarkson Show returns on NBC Monday, September 28.
