Kelly Clarkson was absent from her talk show earlier this year because her late ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, was ill with cancer.

Clarkson, the "American Idol" star who shared two children with Blackstock, had just announced she was stepping away from concerts to support her family.

Less than a day after Kelly Clarkson postponed her shows in Las Vegas to be with family, it was announced that her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, had died. He was 48 years old and had been in a battle with cancer for over three years.