NEED TO KNOW
Jennifer Hudson stepped in for one shoot in Clarkson’s absence
Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock died of melanoma on Aug. 7 at age 48
Kelly Clarkson is coming back to her red chair.
The “Miss Independent” singer is returning to The Voice to continue filming season 29, billed as “Battle of Champions,” this week after missing one shoot earlier this month, Deadline reported on Tuesday, Aug. 19.
In the three-time Grammy winner’s brief absence from the set, according to the outlet, fellow American Idol alum, The Voice coach and talk show host Jennifer Hudson stepped in for a battle round rehearsal.
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Clarkson’s time away from The Voice comes after her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock died of melanoma on Aug. 7 at age 48.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” a rep for the family told PEOPLE 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.”
She revealed his illness one day beforehand and announced the postponement of her Studio Sessions residency in Las Vegas in order to be “fully present” for their daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9.
“While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children’s father has been ill,” Clarkson wrote on Instagram at the time. “I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows and I so appreciate your grace, kindness and understanding.”
Blackstock was laid to rest in a celebration of life on Sunday, Aug. 17, per his obituary.
Clarkson and Blackstock were married for seven years before splitting in June 2020. He was dating Clarkson’s former assistant Brittney Jones at the time of his death, according to his obituary and Jones’ LinkedIn profile.
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On Aug. 19, the “Where Have You Been” artist also appeared in the first episode of her new NBC limited series Songs & Stories with Kelly Clarkson with the Jonas Brothers.
Clarkson pre-taped the episodes earlier this summer, prior to Blackstock’s death. Future installments of the series — inspired by a segment of the same name on The Kelly Clarkson Show — will feature Gloria Estefan, Teddy Swims and Lizzo.
According to Deadline, Clarkson is also on track to start production for season 7 of The Kelly Clarkson Show in September as scheduled.
