Brittney Marie Jones \u2014 who was identified in Blackstock’s obituary<\/a> as his “partner in life and business” \u2014 worked as Clarkson’s production assistant in Nashville from 2016 to 2018, according to her LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n In December 2018, she transitioned to an executive management assistant role for Blackstock \u2014 but still “assistant managed day to day artist schedule for Kelly Clarkson,” according to her profile.<\/p>\n Two years later, in June 2020, the same month Clarkson filed for divorce<\/a>, Jones became an executive assistant for V Bar B Cattle Co., a Montana ranch owned by Blackstock.<\/p>\n A rep for Clarkson did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.<\/p>\n Mike Coppola\/FilmMagic<\/p>\n Brandon Blackstock and Kelly Clarkson in Los Angeles in January 2018<\/p>\n The talent manager’s obituary describes<\/a> Jones as his “beautiful and loving partner in life and business.”<\/p>\n It also said that the pair “started building a life, building companies, and working tirelessly to create Headwaters Livestock Auction and what will live on as his legacy, The Valley View Rodeo in Bozeman, Montana.\u201d<\/p>\n On Friday, Aug. 8, Jones’ father Larry paid tribute to Blackstock in a Facebook post<\/a>, writing, “Yesterday we lost a good man Brandon Blackstock. He described Blackstock as “my daughter\u2019s soulmate,” and said he “considered him my son.”<\/p>\n Chris Polk\/AMA2017\/Getty<\/p>\n Brandon Blackstock in Los Angeles in November 2017<\/p>\n “My sincere condolences to Brittney Jones and family. We\u2019re sure going to miss your funny humor. R.I.P hoss!” he wrote.<\/p>\n Blackstock was married to Clarkson from 2013 to 2020. The exes \u2014 who\u00a0shared daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9<\/a> \u2014 finalized their divorce in 2022. He was also dad to son Seth, 18, and daughter Savannah, 23, with ex-wife Melissa Ashworth.<\/p>\n In 2023, Clarkson opened up about the divorce<\/a> on an episode of Angie Martinez’s\u00a0IRL\u00a0podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n “It rips you apart,” the “Because of You” singer, 43, said. “Whenever you fall in love with someone and it doesn’t work.”<\/p>\n Clarkson continued, “I think the thing about divorce \u2014 especially having it publicized, and people thinking they know the whole thing \u2014 the hardest part of that is, like, it wasn’t an overnight decision.”<\/p>\n “Anyone that’s been divorced [knows]. That was years in trying to make \u2014 not make it work, ’cause I never wanted to be part of something to ‘make it work,'” added Clarkson. “I wanted to make it beautiful. I wanted to make it awesome. I wanted to make it everything it possibly could be, and sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”<\/p>\n![\"Mike](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/3c25d08eab7b1fc50888f0954c496afb.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/839e9856235f20268262842a9a293d4b.jpeg\"\/)
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