The news that Kelly Clarkson was coming back to The Voice for its upcoming revamped 29th season was quite exciting for fans like myself. However, tragedy struck her family soon after they started taping, when her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock passed away after a long battle with cancer, and she stepped away temporarily. An insider for the singing competition has spoken out about how Clarkson’s absence allegedly impacted production and the warning the crew was reportedly given upon her return.
Brandon Blackstock died August 7 at age 48, five years after Kelly Clarkson filed to end their marriage. Despite a contentious divorce, they remained connected through their two children, and Clarkson had the full support of The Voice to focus on her family in the days that followed his passing. According to an insider, per The Sun, this did affect their production schedule, as they alleged:
[Brandon’s] passing delayed some crucial parts of the season, like certain tapings and shooting promo but they were able to make up for loss time so ultimately, it ended up getting evened out.
Previous reports had indicated the show might be looking for someone to step in as Kelly Clarkson’s replacement — former The Voice coaches Miley Cyrus or Kelsea Ballerini, for instance. Ballerini has filled in for Clarkson before, in Season 20, when the American Idol alum was sick, and in addition to coaching Season 27, she is also a Battle Advisor for Michael Bublé’s team on Season 28.
However, the insider seems to indicate production was delayed until Kelly Clarkson returned. When that happened, according to the source, the crew was allegedly given a strict warning, they said:
When [Kelly] came back, [the production team] was all told not to bring it up. Not to bring up Brandon, even if just to say we were sorry. I mean look, I get it, she was there to work and doesn’t need to be reminded of this tragedy every 5 seconds. It’d be too emotional. And everyone on the set loves Kelly, no one wants to upset her so they were happy to oblige.
That’s completely understandable, because if Kelly Clarkson were just being reminded of her ex-husband’s death constantly, there’s no way she’d be able to focus on her job of helping to coach singers into the entertainment industry. Still, the source said, she was “flooded” with love from her colleagues, even as everyone reportedly remained “strictly professional.”
I’d imagine that if such a direction was given regarding Kelly Clarkson, the same would go for Reba McEntire. The queen of country is a coach on The Voice Season 28, which is currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule. She paid tribute to her late stepson following his death and also reportedly stepped away from the show, as the 28th and 29th seasons are filming concurrently.
We’ll have to see if Reba McEntire’s absence is addressed or noticeable, as Season 28 continues its Battle round. New episodes air at 8 p.m. ET each Monday and Tuesday on NBC and can be streamed the next day with a Peacock subscription.