Kelly, Reba McEntire So Close That Kelly Clarkson Persuaded Reba To Delay Split With Husband Narvel Blackstock [Video]

Kelly Clarkson pleaded with Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock to reconcile before they announced their split. Kelly, who is their daughter-in-law, longed for Reba to enjoy wedded bliss, reported Us Weekly.

“They’ve been living apart for two years,” said an insider. “Kelly urged them not to split and she’s the reason they didn’t split earlier.”

Clarkson did everything that she could think of to persuade her 60-year-old mother-in-law Reba and 58-year-old father-in-law to stay together, added the source.

“[Kelly] was really fighting for them to make it work and stay together,” added the source.

Married for 26 years, Reba is separating but did not announce any divorce plans. Narvel is her manager and producer as well as her husband.

“Despite this being the end of their marriage, they continue to support each other,” stated Big Machine Label Group in its formal announcement on the topic. “They have worked together for 35 years and will continue to do so. They have asked that you respect their privacy during this time.”

Kelly married Reba’s stepson Brandon Blackstock in 2013. Clarkson and Brandon have a daughter, named River Rose, born in 2014.

For Kelly, Reba has been more than a mother-in-law. Kelly regards Reba as a pal who shares Clarkson’s passion for game nights, she told Rolling Stone.

“My sister, my mom, me and [Reba] are the gamers in the family. Everyone else we just drag into it,” laughed Kelly. “Reba and I are both competitive – she’ll tell you she’s not, but she’s a liar. I can win Sequence, but if we play backgammon or Mexican Train dominoes, she kills me. She’s like a backgammon magician.”

And there’s nothing formal about getting together as a family, added Clarkson, exemplifying what she wants Reba to stay married.

“Our family gatherings are just a bunch of grandchildren and nieces and nephews. Our job is very egocentric, so it’s nice to be able to reflect on something else.”

In addition to the family connection, Kelly is invested in Reba’s union because her father-in-law is Clarkson’s manager, as the Inquisitr reported.

Will Kelly’s career be changed by Reba’s split? McEntire herself emphasized that she will continue her 35-year-long association with Blackstock as her manager. But it’s not known if Clarkson will also continue to be managed by him.

McEntire just released her Love Somebody album, following successes in theater, film, and television as well as country music, where she repeatedly rocks the top of the charts. Her manager and still-current husband, Blackstock, owns a company that, in addition to Kelly and Reba, represents Blake Shelton.

[Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images for dcp]