The death of Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock , left her heartbroken for more than the obvious reasons. At just 48, Blackstock left his and Clarkson's two children to grow up without a father, creating a reality that she'd fought hard to avoid. Even amid her nasty divorce, Clarkson put River and Remy's happiness first. Part of that entailed ensuring they had a positive relationship with their dad. That priority was important to her, given her own difficult childhood.

A big reason her upbringing was so hard was that she was estranged from her father. "Kelly's biggest fear during the divorce was that her kids would grow up feeling distant from their father," a source told Page Six . "She always wanted to spare them that. She's devastated for them." For close to two years, Cla

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