KELLY Clarkson was ‘in talks’ to star on a reality show alongside Reba McEntire, before her ex Brandon Blackstock’s tragic death, a source exclusively told The U.S. Sun.
The show, which was originally pitched around 2019 but scrapped a year later, would have also involved the pair’s close pals, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani.
At the time, the Fancy legend was mother-in-law to Kelly, 43, as she was previously married to Brandon’s father, Narvel Blackstock.
Their family connection would’ve been a theme on a previous season of The Voice, an insider spilled to The U.S. Sun.
“There were once talks of doing a family-themed season [of The Voice], it was a handful of years back, around 2019.
“The coaches would’ve been Reba, Kelly, Gwen, and Blake. The family theme being Kelly was Reba’s daughter-in-law and Kelly and Blake having the same manager at the time,” they said, acknowledging how Brandon once oversaw both Kelly’s and Blake’s career for a number of years.
“Kelly and Blake were also basically best buds at the time and of course, Gwen and Blake being together added that other family element.
“Their relationships were all very overlapping. Those four are very intertwined and have genuine connections.
“But then Kelly began to go through her divorce and the dynamics got too messy so it fizzled out.
“It would’ve been a fun season though,” the production insider added.
Reba, 70, was married to music titan Narvel, 68, from 1989 until their divorce in 2015.
Despite no longer being married, Brandon and his brother, Shelby Blackstock, have continued to call Reba “mom” over the years.
Kelly and Reba have also maintained a close bond as they regularly perform together, spend time with one another, and support each other’s professional projects.
Meanwhile, Blake and Kelly have stayed close to each other despite Brandon no longer representing either of them when he left the music industry in 2020 to pursue life as a full-time rancher.
It seemed like serendipity when the close-knit family members ended up together on The Voice stage.
Blake, 49, was the first to board The Voice train, becoming one of the original coaches in 2011.
Of the foursome, Gwen, 55, was next to become a Voice coach when she joined in September 2014, replacing Christina Aguilera.
Kelly was next up as she hopped on for season 14 in the Spring of 2018.
While Reba is the latest addition, becoming a full-time coach in season 24.
However, she has a long history with the show as she was a battle advisor for her good friend, Blake, all the way back in season 1.
The Grammy-winner returned to help Blake again out in seasons 8 and 23.
It’s unclear when Brandon originally began managing both Blake and Kelly, but he officially ended his role in music in 2020 following his divorce.
In June 2020, Kelly filed for divorce from Brandon and at the time, cited “irreconcilable differences.”
The two fought in a nasty court war for the following years, battling over custody of their two kids, their real estate portfolio, and their financial empire.
The couple’s divorce was finally settled in March 2022, but it ended up costing the pop superstar a fortune.
She was ordered to pay Brandon over $1.3million in a lump sum, along with $45,601 per month in child support, and a staggering $115,000 a month in spousal support, according to court documents.
The pair were private about their life post-divorce but fans were concerned about the pop star’s family after she multiple leave of absence’s this year.
While at the time, it was not clear to the public what the family was battling, it appeared she had been taking care of Brandon in his final months before his death.
Multiple sources told PageSix that Kelly helped care for her ex as he privately battled melanoma cancer.
“It’s been exhausting and so sad. Kelly has been working so hard, as well as looking after Brandon.
“Despite their difficult divorce, he’s still the man she loved and still her kids’ father,” an insider claimed.
On Wednesday, Kelly announced she was canceling the remainder of her August dates for her Las Vegas residency shows as Brandon battled a “serious illness.”
The following morning, Starstruck Entertainment, Brandon’s former talent agency, announced he had passed away from melanoma cancer at the age of 48.
Fans have flooded Kelly’s social media pages with their condolences; however, she has still not yet publicly commented on Brandon’s death.
KELLY Clarkson’s ex-husband Brandon Blackstock moved onto a $1.7 million Montana ranch in the final years before his tragic death at just 48, The U.S. Sun can report.
After his bitter divorce from talk show host and pop star Kelly, 43, Brandon left Los Angeles and his music manager career behind and settled into the life of a rancher in Montana.
According to real estate records, Brandon bought the four-bedroom, three-bath Butte ranch in April 2022 for $1.8 million.
The home sits on over 41 acres, and was described as “very private and serene” by the listing agents.
The property also boasts massive ceilings and panoramic mountain views.
From the property, Brandon operated his ranching company, V Bar V Cattle Co. and Valley View Livestock.
He also founded Valley View Rodeo in Bozeman.
In the weeks before his death, Brandon’s oldest daughter Savannah, 23, visited the ranch and shared candid family photos.
Brandon was dad to River, 11, and Remington, 9, his kids with Kelly, and Savannah and Seth, his children with first wife, Melissa Ashworth. (He was also a grandpa to Savannah’s son, and had one more grandchild on the way when he died.)
After the divorce, the manager-turned-rancher originally lived on Kelly’s massive $10 million Montana ranch, called Vintage Valley.
However, after an extensive court battle, Kelly ultimately won the expansive 6300-acre property, and Brandon moved out.
Kelly originally filed for divorce in June 2020, and the split was finalized two years later after disagreements over money and property.
Before Brandon’s retreat to the country, he was a big-time music manager alongside his famous dad, Narvel. (Brandon’s stepmother was Reba McEntire, and the two remained close after Reba and Narvel’s divorce in 2015.)
He worked with Blake Shelton and other country stars.
Brandon was also a TV producer, and worked on The Kelly Clarkson Show before his split from the famous host.
He also attended Hollywood red carpets with superstar Kelly.
Brandon became so private, his cancer diagnosis was not publicly known until his shocking death on August 7.
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away,” the family announced in a statement on Thursday.
“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.”
Just one day prior, Kelly canceled her August concerts in her Las Vegas residency.
“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,” Kelly told fans.
She had quietly taken time off from her daytime talk show earlier in the year to support her kids during her ex’s illness.
COLLIN Gosselin has posted an emotional open message to his family members after becoming estranged from his siblings.
The 21-year-old shot to fame as a child alongside his brothers and sisters in reality show as Jon and Kate Plus 8, which followed the Gosselin family as they raised sextuplets and twins.
However, since the show aired Collin has largely become estranged from most of his family, accusing mom Kate of treating him differently and leaving him to grow up feeling alone.
But Collin has now posted a new photo reaching out to those he no longer keeps in touch with, reflecting on ‘the lives they could’ve lived’ if they were never part of the reality TV circuit.
Sharing two photos – one of the whole family as kids, another alone in his car – set to Adele’s weepy ballad Hometown Glory, Collin wrote: “Born to be a team, us against the world… forced to do it alone, and wonder every day what our lives could’ve looked like…”
In the caption he added: “Forced apart, pitted against each other. All the fame and money in the world, but what about kids being kids?
“I will always love them more than anything. The tears I shed behind closed doors, thinking about the memories we could’ve shared. I love you guys…”
The show initially ran from 2007 to 2009, before being picked up again after Jon and Kate’s divorce in 2009, rebranded to Kate Plus 8 and running from 2015 to 2017.
Collin was one of the sextuplets alongside siblings Alexis, Hannah, Aaden, Leah and Joel. Twins Cara and Madelyn, both 24, completed Jon and Kate’s brood.
When the couple divorced, Kate was given full custody of all eight children – but in 2018 Jon was granted sole custody of his son, three years after Collin was sent to Fairmount Behavioral Health Institute – a residential program for kids with behavioral needs.
Speaking to The US Sun last year, Collin said he believes he never had any behavioural issues or psychiatric conditions, sharing private medical records with us to back his claim up.
He also accused his mother of taking out her anger about her failing marriage on him – alleging he would be isolated from his siblings, and on some occasions have his hands and feet zip-tied and be locked in a specially-built basement room that contained only a bed and cameras to watch him for a whole day or part of a day.
Collin’s claims were supported by dad Jon Gosselin, who said the alleged abuse took place after he and Kate divorced and he moved out of their home in Pennsylvania.
Shortly after custody of Collin was granted to Jon, Hannah also moved in with her father, who also supported her brothers allegations in an interview for Vice’s ‘The Dark Side of the 2000s’ documentary, which aired in 2023.
The family have been split ever since, with Collin losing contact with his remaining six siblings and mom.
Kate did not respond to the claims in our interview, but her lawyer Richard Puleo, who represented her in her last case against Jon, said he did not believe she’d done anything to “intentionally harm” Collin.
He added that “she did what she did to protect herself and her family” from what he alleged was “troubled behavior” by Collin.
Following the airing of Dark Side of the 2000s, Kate posted a statement on Instagram, which is now deleted, defending her decision to have him admitted into an institution for his behavior.
“The decision to admit him was made by emergency room doctors following one of his many attacks/outbursts — this one involving his use of a weapon,” she wrote.
“Fast forward to the present day, and following Jon’s removal of Collin from treatment, my son’s unpredictable and violent behavior has sadly continued regularly towards Jon, Hannah and others around him.
Claiming Collin has “a distorted perception of reality”, Kate said she worked alongside a pediatric psychiatrist and a team of specialists to try and help him.
She continued: “Unfortunately, I believe Collin remains a very troubled young man who continues to need a lot of help.
“His brothers and sisters and I have not been directly involved in his life due to his history of unpredictable behavior and violent tendencies towards us.”
DRIVERS with Chevrolet or GMC cars should double-check whether they’re owed a massive $2,149 chunk of a $150 million settlement.
With the deadline passing on Friday, it’s key to fill out the form and get the free cash.
General Motors agreed to shell out the cash after a class action lawsuit alleged the brand sold vehicles with engines that consume too much oil.
The settlement applies to owners of 2011-2014 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles with LC9 engines.
However, not everyone in the US with these cars can get the payout.
The suit stipulates that owners or lessees must live in California, Idaho, or North Carolina.
Plaintiffs argued that GM knew about the reported issue and knowingly sold the defective cars.
However, GM denied any wrongdoing and instead hopes the payments will quell any dissatisfied customers.
Eligible applicants in California include anyone who purchased or leased one of the listed vehicles in new condition as of May 23, 2022.
The same stipulations apply to applicants living in North Carolina, but the vehicle didn’t have to be in new condition.
North Carolina residents also must provide proof of purchase, which includes their vehicle identification number, name, and address.
In Idaho, the vehicle must have been purchased or leased from a GM-authorized dealership.
However, the condition in which the car was obtained isn’t important.
Eligible applicants should expect to get at least $2,149 in cash, but the payout could be even higher based on the number of responses.
All you have to do to apply is fill out a form on the settlement website.
The website states that eligible car owners who do not respond by the date will be given an equal share of the settlement.
The cars that make you eligible for a class action lawsuit settlement due to claims of defective engines sold in North Carolina, Idaho, and California include:
The cars must have LC9 engines made on or after February 10, 2011.
Any vehicle that got an upgraded engine for free under warranty isn’t included in the class action lawsuit.
Source: GM Engine Litigation
The deadline for exclusion and objection for this class action is August 8, 2025.
People who received an identification form in the mail must also return it by this date.
No other claim form is required by class members.
The final approval hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled for October 2, 2025.
Meanwhile, GM drivers also have until August 19 to claim $875 in a cash settlement.
And Hyundai and Kia owners can get $350 from another class action lawsuit.
Class action lawsuits offer groups of people, or 'classes,' a way to band together in court.
These suits are often brought by one or a few people who allege a company or other entity has wronged a large group of people.
When a suit becomes a class action, it extends to all “class members,” or people who may have similar complaints to those who filed the suit.
Companies often settle class actions – offering payment to class members who typically waive their right to pursue further legal action by accepting money.
These payout agreements frequently include statements by the defendant denying wrongdoing. Companies tend to settle class actions to avoid the costs of further litigation.
Pollution, discrimination, or false advertising are a few examples of what can land a class action on a company’s doorstep.
