Kelly Clarkson’s stepdaughter had revealed her pregnancy just a few weeks before her father Brandon Blackstock’s death.

Brandon is Kelly’s former husband and the father of her two children, River and Remington Blackstock.

They were together from 2012 to 2022.

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He had Savannah Blackstock Lee and Seth Blackstock with his first wife, Melissa Ashworth, who he was married to from 2001 until 2012.

Brandon died following a three-year battle with cancer, his representative said on Thursday. He was 48.

“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a spokesperson for Blackstock said in a statement.

“Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. 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.”

Savannah Blackstock Lee, 23, shared on July 5 that she is expecting a second child with her husband, as reported by People.

The announcement came just one month before her father’s death.

“We’ve been keeping a couple sweet surprises,” she wrote in a post on her now-private Instagram account.

“One little girl will be making her arrival at the beginning of January and another beautiful girl named Julianna who has already been one of the greatest blessings to our family.”

Kelly announced on Wednesday that she was postponing the rest of her Studio Session concerts in Las Vegas this month to support her family.

The American Idol star told fans on Instagram that she was prioritising the needs of her loved ones.

“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,” wrote the three-time Grammy winner.

Kelly and Brandon divorced in March 2022. Their daughter River Rose was born in 2014, and son Remington Alexander was born in 2016.

She and the children reside in New York City, where she also hosts a daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock, was once married to Reba McEntire, thus making the country music legend his one-time stepmother.

Legal battles after bitter split

Kelly and Brandon separated in 2020 after seven years of marriage and were embroiled in legal battles as they tried to resolve their complicated business entanglements.

Shortly after Kelly filed for divorce, Starstruck Entertainment, the management company run by her former father-in-law, sued her for millions in allegedly unpaid fees.

Starstruck claimed it had “invested a great deal of time, money, energy and dedication” into her career and had “developed Clarkson into a mega superstar”.

Kelly responded by filing a complaint with California’s Labour Commissioner, arguing that Starstruck had violated California’s Talent Agencies Act by serving not only as her personal manager but also as unlicensed talent agents who booked business deals.

In November 2023, Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Brower ruled that Brandon had procured a number of deals for Kelly — including her role as a judge on the American version of The Voice — that should have been handled by her talent agents at Creative Artists Agency.

That decision meant Brandon had to repay his ex-wife $US2.6 million, or about $A3.96 million.

After their divorce, Kelly agreed to pay her ex-husband monthly child support of almost $A70,000 for their two children plus a one-off payment of $A1.98 million.

In March 2024, Kelly filed another lawsuit against Brandon, this time claiming Starstruck had violated state labour laws by acting as unlicensed talent agents.

Brandon’s lawyer Bryan Freedman denounced Kelly’s new lawsuit in a statement to Rolling Stone, saying it was “morally, ethically and legally wrong to attempt to get monies back from your ex-husband who not only helped her as her manager but who used those earnings on their children and Kelly and Brandon’s lifestyle during the marriage”.

By May 2024, the former couple’s legal issues were settled when they both withdrew their cases.