How The Voice Came Between Miranda Lambert And Blake Shelton

Sometimes another person drives a wedge between a married couple, while other times, a new job plays a role. As we all know, Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton were the "it" couple in country music during their time together. The couple began dating in 2006, and a few years later, they got hitched. People reported that the two wed in true country music fashion (far from the Los Angeles scene), opting to marry at the Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas, in 2011. Lambert and Shelton said "I do" in front of a few famous pals and many family members.

The year Shelton and Lambert tied the knot, he signed on for a new show called "The Voice," set to air on NBC. The star has stuck with the series since its debut season, starring alongside the likes of Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, and Adam Levine. That year, Shelton spoke about the series in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, sharing that the finale happened just four days before Lambert walked down the aisle. "I don't know how it all worked out, and I'm sure they didn't cater to my situation, but luckily, it doesn't interfere with our wedding or any of the time we had off for it," he told the outlet.

Well, Shelton and Lambert called it quits in 2015. While he did get time off for the nuptials, it looks like the show still played a role in his divorce from Lambert.

There have been many positives about Blake Shelton's time on "The Voice," but there's also been a negative side or two. According to TMZ, the country music star's stint on the show caused a strain in his marriage to Lambert, as he had to spend three-quarters of a year in Los Angeles shooting the series while they lived in Oklahoma. The outlet reported that Lambert would fly to Los Angeles to see Shelton, but he didn't return the favor by flying back to Oklahoma. TMZ also noted that Lambert "hates" Los Angeles since she's a "country girl," but would still go to see her husband there.

Interestingly enough, Shelton also spoke about the long-distance thing being sort of an issue even before he and Lambert got married. In an interview with The Boot, the singer admitted Lambert got upset with him over his busy schedule as he didn't make time to see her, so he tried to prioritize it. "I was even on a call today with my manager, and he said, 'Man, 'The Voice' people called, and they need you for...' I [interrupted and] said, 'No! They can fire me. I don't care! I've got to do what's right and spend some time with Miranda,'" he dished, adding that the pair spent almost the whole month together. 

But perhaps that was a little foreshadowing of what was to come.

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton don't often speak about their split, but once in a while, they surprise us. In 2022, Lambert opened up about her divorce from the country music crooner, addressing how living in Los Angeles took a toll on her. The star said living with Shelton during some parts of the year brought "a shock to [her] system" since she was followed by the paparazzi while she was there. "I'm a Scorpio, so I'm already very private and protective. And choosing the job I chose — I mean, I get onstage, I'm in front of people," she told the Los Angeles Times in 2022. "But I didn't choose random photos of moments when I wasn't at work." In the same interview, the star shared the toll the split had on her, describing their public divorce as "horrible — like the death of something."

Shelton also shared some insight into their split during a 2020 interview with Billboard, stating that his new album helped him through some of those tough times. "When you have a broken heart — at least, when I do — you got to get it out of your system. You want people to sympathize with you," he told the outlet. I was at rock bottom, in the middle of hell."

Ironically, Shelton said that fellow "The Voice" coach Adam Levine and his now-wife Gwen Stefani helped him get through the divorce. Full circle.