Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Kelly Clarkson Shares a Rare Update on How Her Kids Are Coping After Their Dad’s Death

Kelly Clarkson shares a rare family update on how her children River and Remington are coping after their father Brandon Blackstock's death, emphasizing snuggles and special bedtime moments that bring joy amid grief in 2026.
Arden Lambert
by

Arden Lambert covers breaking country music news for Country Thang Daily. If it just happened in country music, Arden is on it.

Get Country Thang Daily first on GoogleGet CTD first on GoogleAdd us as a preferred source in Top StoriesAdd us as a preferred sourceAdd

Even through heartbreak, Kelly Clarkson is doing what strong mamas do best by putting her kids first.

Kelly Clarkson may be a powerhouse on stage, but behind closed doors, she is just a mom doing everything she can to hold her little world together. Five months after the passing of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, Clarkson has opened up about how her kids, River and Remington, are coping with the heartbreaking loss of their dad.

During a fan Q and A on her YouTube channel, the “Stronger” singer got candid when asked about something that brings her joy each day. Without hesitation, Clarkson gave the most mom-style answer you could expect from a woman who has been through the wringer lately, and that answer was snuggles.

“My kids, they are 9 and 11. Kind of that special little fun stage where they can wipe their own behinds, but they are still small enough to love cuddling and love snuggles,” she shared with a little humor. But her words carried a lot more weight than just bedtime sweetness. “There has been a lot for our family recently, and so I have allowed my kids to sleep with me quite a bit,” she added. “It is my two dogs, my two kids and me. It is a lot. But it has been really special because the conversations you have during that time are pretty cute. That is probably my favorite time of day.”

Clarkson is not just keeping it together because she is creating a safe space for her kids to grieve, to process, and to feel loved in the aftermath of a life-altering tragedy. Brandon Blackstock, who passed away at age 48 after a private three-year battle with melanoma, left behind four children which include two with Clarkson and two from a previous marriage. The loss has been especially painful for River and Remy, who were just starting to find their footing in the world when everything changed.

An insider close to the family recently told People that Clarkson has been devastated for her children. “Kelly is obviously heartbroken for her kids. Losing their dad is incredibly painful and confusing,” they said. “But she is also very grounded. She is not someone who falls apart. She looks at life realistically and does everything she can to make things as steady and loving as possible for her kids.”

If there is one thing Clarkson has always done well, it is being real. The divorce from Blackstock in 2020 was public, messy, and emotional. But through it all, she never let bitterness cloud her children’s relationship with their father. “She always wanted her kids to have the best relationship possible with their dad. She never spoke poorly about Brandon to the kids,” a separate source told People.

That kind of strength, the kind that pushes through heartbreak, courtrooms, and parenting in the spotlight, is exactly why fans love Clarkson. She is a chart-topping, Grammy-winning artist, but more importantly, she is a mama who is fiercely present for her babies.

Kelly Clarkson Shares a Rare Update on How Her Kids Are Coping After Their Dad’s Death
Music and books

Shop Kelly Clarkson

As an Amazon Associate, Country Thang Daily earns from qualifying purchases.

Even now, when her own heart is likely still healing from years of emotional battles and the finality of loss, she is choosing to pour into River and Remy with bedtime snuggles, soft conversations, and a whole lot of love. No awards show or record deal can compare to that kind of daily dedication.

It is clear Kelly Clarkson is doing what any badass country-hearted mama would do, holding it all down with honesty, compassion, and the kind of quiet strength that makes you want to stand up and cheer.

Kelly Clarkson Shares a Rare Update on How Her Kids Are Coping After Their Dad’s Death

Know someone who loves Kelly Clarkson?

Pass this story along to your friends and family on Facebook.

Share on Facebook

Latest Stories

John Anderson, ‘Seminole Wind’ Singer and Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 71

Country Music Hall of Fame member John Anderson died Wednesday at 71. Back in the summer of 1972, the young man from Apopka, Florida, moved to Nashville, where his older ...

Who Was the Real Jolene? Dolly Parton Revealed the Woman With a ‘Terrible Crush’ on Carl Dean and Got Her ‘Revenge’

In the early years of their marriage, Carl Dean spent a lot of time at the bank. He was trying to get a loan for his asphalt paving business, and ...

George Jones Called ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ Morbid, Reportedly Bet It Would Miss No. 1

George Jones heard the song Billy Sherrill was so sure about and wanted nothing to do with it. In his autobiography, I Lived To Tell It All, he remembered exactly ...

Ella Langley Toasts ‘365 Days of Madness’ for ‘Choosin’ Texas,’ the 45-Minute Song That Outran Mariah Carey

It took Ella Langley and three co-writers 45 minutes to write “Choosin’ Texas.” A year after the song came out, she is still trying to measure what those 45 minutes ...

Luke Bryan’s Son Bo Breaks His Collarbone in the Senior Season He Waited Three Years for, Then Makes Fans a Promise

Bo Bryan spent three years waiting for his Friday nights. The son of Luke Bryan sat behind a Mr. Football winner at Battle Ground Academy, and when the quarterback job ...

The 10 Best Riley Green Songs Ranked, From His First Single to the Duets He Never Planned

Riley Green played guitar as a boy in rural Alabama, but he never sang along until his grandaddy Buford started pushing him. “I never sang when I played guitar until ...

Is Dale Dickens Real? Cooper Alan Says His Hometown Never Had One, but Fans Keep Hearing ‘Goodbye Earl’

Cooper Alan helped write a song called “Dale Dickens (RIP),” and he has confirmed that Dale is a fictional character, Cowgirl Magazine reports. “He’s fictitious!” Alan said in a 2025 ...

Bull Rider Coy Thorson Cried ‘I Don’t Want to Do It’ as a Kid, but There Was No Backing Out

When Coy Thorson was a boy, there were times he cried and told his older brother, Colton, that he didn’t want to ride, and he still remembers how those moments ...

Tulsa King Season 4 Premiere Ends With a Plane Crash, and Neal McDonough’s ‘New Tulsa King’ Was on Board

Dwight Manfredi’s sister, Joanne, woke him at 4:30 in the morning to tell him the governor’s plane had crashed. Cal Thresher was on that overnight flight, and so was Margaret, ...

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw Were Married When They Won a Grammy Singing ‘Like We Never Loved at All’

Faith Hill was already married to Tim McGraw when she put a song on her own album about watching an ex move on as if the love had never happened, ...