Brandon Blackstock — Kelly Clarkson‘s ex-husband and former manager — has died, TMZ has confirmed.

The statement reads, “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. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time.”

We’re told Brandon passed away this morning, just a few hours ago, after battling the disease for three and a half years.

It was clear Blackstock was dealing with a major health issue … because Clarkson announced she was postponing her Las Vegas residency because of her husband’s health issues — explaining she needed to be with her children. People broke the news of his death.

As you know … rumors have persisted over the last few months that she was going to leave “The Kelly Clarkson Show” because of her numerous absences — though we’ve now confirmed these were all connected to Blackstock’s illness.

Everyone on the staff knew about the illness, we’re told … but, they kept it to themselves out of respect for Kelly and Brandon’s privacy.

Blackstock and Clarkson met at a rehearsal for the Academy of Country Music Awards back in 2006 … though they didn’t start dating until early 2012 after reconnecting at Super Bowl XLVI. They got engaged later that year and married in 2013.

During their marriage, they welcomed two children together … and, Clarkson said Blackstock even convinced her to get into hosting her own talk show. Kelly filed for divorce in 2020, and it was finalized in March 2022.

Blackstock began his career with Starstruck Entertainment, his father’s company … and, he managed big acts like Blake Shelton and Rascal Flatts.

Blackstock was 48.