Kelly Clarkson Breaks Down In Tears While On Stage Just Days Before Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock's Death

Kelly Clarkson struggled to fight back tears at her Las Vegas studio session residency just 12 days before the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock.

The talk show host was so emotional as she introduced the reworked version of her song "Piece by Piece," explaining that the new version kind of represents where she's currently at as a person.

Kelly Clarkson announced that she was postponing the remainder of her August shows to be "fully present" for her kids as Brandon Blackstock's ailing health seemingly worsened.

Kelly Clarkson was visibly emotional as she tried to perform her song "Piece by Piece" during her Las Vegas residency, shortly before the death of Brandon Blackstock.

In a viral TikTok video, the 43-year-old singer broke down in tears multiple times while introducing the tweaked version of the song, which is believed to have initially conveyed her anger surrounding her divorce from Blackstock.

"Compartmentalization!" she urged herself while trying to keep her cool and wipe the tears off her face. Clarkson then went on to explain that after a change in lyrics to the song, she had changed it again to better communicate who she is today.

"I've never rewritten a song more, and I probably never will," she said. "I wrote this song with a lot of hope and projection for happiness and better than what was happening. And then, well, life set in, and I had to change the lyrics. Everybody was like, 'Wait, why aren't you singing this song?' And I was like, 'Have you heard the lyrics?' That's fun. Embarrassing."

According to People Magazine, Clarkson originally wrote the song and released it in 2015 as a message to her estranged father about how Blackstock was a better father and partner to her.

In the original version, she sang, "But piece by piece, he collected me up. Off the ground, where you abandoned things, yeah. Piece by piece, he filled the holes that you burned in me at six years old, and you know He never walks away He never asks for money He takes care of me 'Cause he loves me. Piece by piece, he restored my faith that a man can be kind and a father could stay."

In the viral clip, Clarkson explained that she "ended up changing the lyrics" because she thought it "sounded a little angry."

She continued, "So I just wanted to explain how it feels now. I'm 43. I've done some therapy, and I changed the lyrics now, and I think it's perfect. I promise. I'm not gonna change it again."

Clarkson added, "It just represents, kind of, I don't know, I feel like we grow up, right? And this is the more grown-up version of it."

However, she got emotional again as she tried to continue, saying, "I'm really trying to pull it together." She was finally able to put herself together, after which she declared, "Screw it, let's just sing it. This is 'Piece by Piece.'"

The vulnerable moment comes in the wake of Blackstock's death at the age of 48 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

According to reports, his family confirmed the sad news in a statement, saying, "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away."

"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," the statement added.

Clarkson and Blackstock tied the knot in 2013, but after 7 years of marriage, the singer filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences."

They were then engaged in a lengthy, and at times contentious, legal battle surrounding spousal support, custody of their two children, and Clarkson's Montana ranch.

The singer won custody of their two children, daughter River, and son Remy, in November that year, before eventually settling their divorce in March 2022.

Just one day before Blackstock's death, Clarkson announced that she was postponing the remainder of her August Las Vegas shows, citing the need to be "fully present" for her children as their father was "ill."

"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," she wrote in a statement. "I am sincerely sorry to everyone who bought tickets to the shows, and I so appreciate your grace, kindness, and understanding."

Earlier this year, she took a break from "The Kelly Clarkson Show" for a then-unexplained reason.

However, insiders have since told People Magazine that her absence was due in part to Blackstock's ailing health at the time.

Meanwhile, it appears she'll still be back on TV screens for season 7 of the show this fall despite the recent loss. New dates for her postponed shows have been fixed for July and August of next year on Ticketmaster, but will still take place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.