Kelly Clarkson just welcomed daughter River, her first with her husband of eight months, Brandon Blackstock. Brandon has two children with his ex wife, I believe they’re 13 and 7 now, and Kelly has often referred to them “her” kids. It turns out that their mom, Melissa White (nee Ashworth), is still in the picture and she feels very similar to Kelly. She loves Kelly and Brandon’s new daughter and gushed about her to Radar and on Facebook. Melissa has spoken to Radar in the past when she sort-of defended Brandon against claims that he cheated on her multiple times while they were married.
White met the new addition on June 14 and tells Radar exclusively, “She’s just absolutely precious. And Kelly is doing great.”
Brandon and White had two kids together — Savannah, 13, and Seth, 7 — before divorcing in 2012 and beginning to date Clarkson.
But White insists there are no hard feelings. “We have a wonderful relationship,” she insists. “I love Kelly and we get along great, and my husband and I hang out with them all the time.”
In fact, White revealed, “At Kelly’s baby shower, she certainly got a gift from me. I couldn’t leave my kid out!”
White previously gushed to Radar, “I adore Kelly and Brandon as a couple.”
And in a Facebook post on June 14, she wrote, “Earlier today I got to see the 3rd most precious baby in my life… River Rose Blackstock! It’s a love I can’t explain, she is apart of my kids… Chris and I have a unique relationship with our ex’s and their spouses only God inspired. We absolutely love Brantlee and River. What precious little darlings!”
This story reminds me of the situation with Tiger Woods’ ex, Elin Nordegren, and how she’s cool with Tiger’s girlfriend, Lindsey Vonn, and is grateful that someone else is loving her children. It’s refreshing to see these stories once in a while and to realize that there are blended family situations in which people don’t fight, and they don’t hold grudges. I would say that maybe Melissa is just exceptional at dealing with the press, but I found her Facebook page (I’m not going to link it, it’s easy enough to find) and she just seems like a happy, friendly person. She’s remarried to a guy who runs a karate studio and she has pics up of her kids and of her husband doing martial arts.
I hope that Kelly, Brandon and their new arrival are doing well. Kelly really seems to have lucked out in that she found a divorced guy without family drama and with a presumably great relationship with his ex. Their kids will definitely benefit from it too.
I dated a guy once who had 2 girls with his ex. She was remarried and we all got along really well, had holidays together, etc. It was nice and normal.
It’s nice to see adults behaving like adults for a change.
+ 1. It seems a bit sad that it’s treated as rare though.
I only wish I could be as civilized and mature as this woman is.
My best friend split from her husband after three kids. She really likes their step-mom, and says it’s because raising children is hard, so anyone who has their best interests at heart and wants to help is totally welcome. That makes sense — ultimately, you want your children to grow into lovely people, and the more good role models (when you can find them) the better.
sp lovely .. It is nice to hear about couples who can divorce they same way they came together with love and much respect.. good on her so nice to hear about this 😉
I’m sorry, but her blonde hair is AWFUL. Toner, girlllllll.
The fact that this is next to the Rimes story is just too appropriate.
Conspiracy Theory time: the husband is a beard, Kelly is really in a relationship with the ex-wife.
What about the ex-wife’s new husband? What role does he play?
I always thought of Kelly Clarkson as a really cool chick, a girl’s girl, somone that when you walk into a room she just comes to you and hug and makes you laugh.
I love when women can be so supportive with each other and mature enough to deal breakups and new relationships in the best possible way.
That’s exactly how I picture Kelly too, just a fun, easy going person to be around. If anyone saw her ancestry special (the name of the series escapes me at the moment), she was very personable with all the folks who provided info on her family background – and they all got hugged lol.
I like Kelly alot. It’s awesome that the kids take center stage amongst all the adults, and the parents all seem to be intent on the happiness and health of all the kids. That’s fantastic.
I think it’s great they all get along so well. Those kids are going to benefit greatly from it, and are lucky to have 4 caring parents.
I love Kelly and wish nothing but happiness for her but there is something about her hubs that just rubs me wrong. Can’t say what it is exactly but I dont get good vibes from him. Kudos to them for appreciating their blended family instead of making it battle of the wives like EC & LR (take notes LR..this is how you manage a blended family).
I feel the same way@Macey – I don’t know if it is the cheating rumors coupled with him bring the step-son of Reba McIntyre or what but I just don’t trust him. It reminds me of how Kate Winslet married that joke of a douche who is the nephew of Richard Branson. It is like both of these women will overlook douchery just to be close to the money and connections. I have always liked Kelly and the fact the ex-wife is saying good things makes me think that maybe I am wrong. I hope so but I guess time will tell.
Not only that, her current manager is Reba’s hubby/manager, Brandon’s dad. Something tells me it’s marry the talent in order to have an eternal contract with said talent. Very much like Celine Dion.
I have this kind of relationship with my Ex husband, we met when I was very young and he was the only family I had. I’m happily remarried, he has a 21 yo girlfriend and a 3 month old baby with her. We don’t have children together but we as couples get along great so we hang out together.
Congrats to them! They seem so happy, and the ex-wife sounds like a genuinely nice person. Finally, an authentic story about normal people.
The people who will benefit the most from this are the children. This is how it should be! The ex probably loves the new baby so much because the baby is her own children’s sibling. This whole situation warms my heart.
The exact opposite of an experience I had with some skank ho my uncle was dating. She bad-mouthed her ex in front of her kids constantly, did everything she could to discourage their affection for him, and when the ex had a new baby with his new wife the skank ho was just mean about that baby. She told her daughter (6yrs old at the time) that the dad would love the new baby more, and that the new baby wasn’t her real brother. Oh my god it was awful. I’m so glad not all people are like this after a divorce!!
Exactly! I wish more parents were mature and unselfish enough to be able to do this because the more people that love your kids, the better for them. Too many kids end up in the middle and feel guilt and anxiety no matter what they do. I know because I was in that situation. If I said anything positive about my Dad in my Mother’s hearing she would turn on me and start screaming that I thought he was so great then I should go live with him, blahblahblah and then would list all his faults and horrible he was. One Christmas she threw all the gifts he and his family gave me in the fireplace. I think I was 6 or 7 at the time. Pathetic. I really admire Kelly, her husband and his ex-wife for being able to rise above all that crap and realize that just because someone wasn’t the right match for you, they are still the parent of your children and your kids deserve to not to be made to feel horrible about that!!
I’ve been divorced from my daughters Father for many years, but I never disparage him in front of them even though I could. I also don’t speak badly about his wife in front of them even though I know it doesn’t work both ways. She says all kinds of horrible things to the girls about me but all that does it make them resent her. There’s no reason for that kind of crap. It’s so petty and childish. The ex and his wife have a little boy together and my daughters little brother visits my home, spends the night here, whenever he wants to or they want him to. He is my daughters brother and they love him, it would be really hurtful and harmful to them if I tried to exclude him from their life. I hate it when adults take out their issues with the ex’s on the kids, who are blameless.
Nice to see everyone getting along and happy for a change.
Good to see some sanity reigning . Sounds like good people not just getting along but really being happy and supportive of each other.
What the hell’s it doing on Celebitchy?
j/k
A refreshing change of pace story 🙂
Wonderful!
Did I miss something? Who the heck is Brantlee?
She makes reference to her husband Chris’ ex-wife’s spouse. So my assumption is that Brantlee is the child of that ex-wife and her new husband.
I wondered, too. I think that must be the ex-wife’s new husband’s ex-wife’s new baby…. or something like that. She says, “Chris and I have great relationships with our exes,” so I’m assuming ‘Chris’ is her husband.
Someone saddled with a very unfortunate name.
What a nice story!
This is so sweet and I love seeing stories like this, everyone is supportive and the kids will benefit. My parents were the complete opposite and it caused so much drama growing up, so I made the choice to be mature and be friends with my ex for the sake of our daughter, we just got back from vacation and had a wonderful time!
It’s so nice to read stories like this from time to time. Good for all of them and congrats to Kelly and Brandon!!!
Bridget Moynahan and Gisele and Tom Brady are doing just fine too. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but if all are good people, they have heart and make it work after a few stumbles probably in the beginning.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2660234/Gisele-Bundchen-hugs-Toms-ex-Bridget-Moynahan-drops-son-NFL-star-visit.html the sa
Bridget has been with the same man for several years now, a director, and he looks close to her son and she looks happy. Here’s an older photograph of them together. She says he loves her son and is good for her and Jack.
http://www.popsugar.com/Pictures-Bridget-Moynahan-Son-Jack-16022781
What a nice, refreshing story. Adults behaving like adults and setting a great example for the kids. Are you reading this, LeAnn?
My fiancee’s dad is still friendly with his ex wife (they have a kid together), and she’s always at holidays. His mom likes her. It’s weird to me, but I was raised with divorced parents that hated each other (my mom had good reason), so there you go.