At 46, Gwen Stefani Bounced Back From Her Ex-Husband's Cheating To Find True Love With Blake Shelton

May 31, 2023

At 54 years old, pop star Gwen Stefani has seen success beyond her wildest dreams. Throughout her career, she has been so prominent in the entertainment industry that she's become a household name. Stefani has won three Grammy Awards, as well as an American Music Award, a Brit Award, a World Music Award and two Billboard Music Awards.

She began her career as the lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, known for hit songs like "Just a Girl" and "It's My Life." In 2004, she began her solo career by releasing her debut album "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." The album became a huge success, and it included the hit single "Hollaback Girl," which topped the Billboard charts and became the first US download to sell one million copies. 

Since then, Stefani has never slowed down. She has steadily released music that's topped the charts since her first album with No Doubt. Aside from her success in the music industry, she's best known for her role as a coach on NBC's “The Voice.” 

Stefani has spent her career making headlines due to her music and red-carpet appearances. Recently, she's made headlines for a different reason — her love life. 

After a difficult divorce in 2015, then-46-year-old Stefani wasn't sure if she would ever find love again. What she didn't know was that her love story was just beginning, and the world watched as she bravely found love again. Soon after her divorce, she fell in love with an unlikely suitor — famous country singer and “The Voice” co-host Blake Shelton. 

Stefani's love life has been on display for decades, and it's no secret that her relationships inspire her music. Her first relationship in the public eye was with Gavin Rossdale, the lead singer and guitarist of the band Bush. 

The pair met when No Doubt opened for Bush at a holiday concert in 1995. The couple married in September 2002. Their marriage lasted for 13 years, and they have three sons together: Kingston, Zuma and Apollo. Everything changed for the couple in February 2015 when rumors started to swirl about infidelity in the couple's relationship.  

Entertainment outlets across the country published stories about an alleged affair that Bush had with the couple's nanny, then-20-year-old Mindy Mann. There was a myriad of rumors circulating about the details of the affair, leading to confusion and doubt among Stefani's fans. The affair was confirmed by Stefani herself, and she was seen crying on an episode of "The Voice" shortly after the news broke. 

Stefani spoke about the affair in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, comparing that time in her life to her own personal hell. "It was the beginning of hell," Stefani said. "Like six, seven, eight months of torture, trying to figure out this big secret."

Stefani filed for divorce in August 2015. She used the heartbreak to write her next album, "This Is What The Truth Feels Like." She also continued filming "The Voice," where she had met co-star Shelton a year before. She would soon find out that while she was going through this public scandal, Shelton was dealing with a heartbreak of his own. 

In the same interview with Harper's Bazaar, Stefani said that in July 2015, Shelton gathered his co-hosts together before an episode of "The Voice" with some unexpected news. He told them that by the time the episode aired, he would be divorced. 

At the time, Shelton was married to country singer and songwriter Miranda Lambert. The couple had been married for four years. Similar to Stefani's relationship, Shelton's divorce made headlines, and his personal life was put on public display. 

Stefani and Shelton found solace in their shared experience, and Stefani said that because of Shelton, she had hope. "It went from horrible to, like, hopeful and, like, 'Wow, God, you just don't know what's gonna happen next," Stefani said. 

The pair started dating soon after, and the world watched as their friendship grew into a romance straight out of a fairy tale. The couple began writing songs together, and it wasn't long before they were performing as a duo. 

In October 2020, Stefani announced their engagement in an Instagram post that showed off her ring. In July 2021, they were married in an intimate ceremony on Shelton's Oklahoma ranch. According to Page Six, Shelton built a small, white chapel on the property for the wedding. 

Despite each of their experiences with heartbreak, the couple found love in one another and are now happier than ever. In an interview for Billboard shortly after they started dating, Shelton shared exactly how he felt about Stefani.

"Next thing I know, I wake up and she's all I care about, and I'm ­wondering if she feels the same about me," Shelton said.

"Gwen saved my life."

After their marriage, Shelton revealed that instead of focusing on his country music career, he would be focusing on his family, including Stefani’s three children.

In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in August 2022, the award-winning country star shed light on his new life with his wife. The husband shared that while he loved his music career, some things were more important than work. 

"Look, I love music and I love ‘The Voice.’ I love all the cool things I get to do with my job, but those things all take a backseat now to Gwen and the kids and it’s just a new phase of my life," Shelton said. He said he was also fortunate enough to have a record label that allows him to work at his own pace and in his own creative time. 

Meanwhile, Stefani is also enjoying happily ever after with her musically-gifted husband, as she told Drew Barrymore on her talk show that she never imagined she would find love again after her divorce.

“I was like, 'I'm gonna wake up every day, I'm gonna have a coffee, I'm gonna take care of my kids and then I'm gonna go to bed.' Like I'm never gonna kiss anyone," the singer recounted. "I thought my life was over and then Blake Shelton's like, 'Hey. I'm Blake Shelton.'"

She said Shelton was more than just a husband:

"Finding a best friend, someone that is on the same plane when it comes to morals, or just the way you look at life, that's the dream,” before she added: “We think the same about things, yet we're so different. Like, he's watching football and doing his stuff that he does, and I'm putting makeup on. We're so different, yet we're so the same on so many levels."

What are your thoughts on Gwen Stefani finding love at 46 following her divorce? Have you ever found love after a heartbreak? Tell us about your experience and pass this on to the hopeless romantic in your life!