Kelly Clarkson’s Raw, Emotional Breakdown Caught on Camera Days Before Brandon Blackstock’s Death originally appeared on Parade.
Kelly Clarkson was caught in tears less than two weeks before the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. The raw, emotional moment was captured during the entertainer’s Las Vegas Studio Session residency in late July.
TikTok user @modestishottest4u posted a video clip from Clarkson’s July 26 show where she was seen crying ahead of performing her song, “Piece by Piece.” As she wiped away tears, the entertainer said, “compartmentalization.”
“I’ve never rewritten a song more, and I probably never will,” she said. “I wrote this song with a lot of hope and projection for happiness and better than what was happening.”
“And then, well, life set in and I had to change the lyrics. Everybody was like, ‘Wait, why aren’t you singing this song?’ And I was like, ‘Have you heard the lyrics?’ That’s fun. Embarrassing.”
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She added, “I ended up changing the lyrics. We did it one time, I did a residency here, and then I was like, ‘You know what, that sounded a little angry.’ So I just wanted to explain how it feels now. I’m 43. I’ve done some therapy, and I changed the lyrics now, and I think it’s perfect. I promise. I’m not gonna change it again.”
Clarskson tried to contain her emotions, saying, “I’m really trying to pull it together. Screw it, let’s just sing it. This is ‘Piece by Piece.’ “
The autobiographical, emotional song is about the dissolution of a relationship between a father and daughter. Clarkson used her marriage to Blackstock as an example that men can be strong and stay in a relationship. She once said that the song allowed her to have empathy for her father instead of hurt and disappointment.
Clarkson performed the song on American Idol to close out the show’s 15th season. The album Piece by Piece was released in February 2015 and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The title track was released as Piece By Piece’s third single and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, Clarkson revealed Blackstock had been ill via a social media post. She subsequently postponed her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their two children, River, 11, and Remington, 9.
One day later, the family shared news that Blackstock had died. In a statement, a rep for the family wrote, “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.”
Clarkson and Blackstock were married for almost seven years before she filed for divorce in 2020. Their marriage was legally over two years later.
Kelly Clarkson’s Raw, Emotional Breakdown Caught on Camera Days Before Brandon Blackstock’s Death first appeared on Parade on Aug 11, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
