Brendan McLoughlin Became A Dad Just Days After Meeting Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert's love life has always been a hot topic of conversation. As fans know, she and Blake Shelton were country music royalty while they were together. The pair tied the knot in 2011 but had a very public split in 2015. Not long after she and Shelton called it quits, Lambert linked up with singer Evan Felker, but it wasn't without a fair share of drama. Radar reported that Felker and his wife, Staci Nelson, were still married when he and Lambert got together. Of course, Lambert and Felker eventually called it quits. Before long, the singer moved on with someone outside of the spotlight — New York City police officer Brendan McLoughlin.

Lambert and McLoughlin met when she performed on "Today" while he worked security at the event. Her band members, the Pistol Annies, served as her wing women, and as most of us know by now, McLoughlin and Lambert hit it off, later marrying in a secret ceremony. McLoughlin and Lambert do not have any children, but in 2022, a source close to the couple told Us Weekly that they were looking to expand their family (past all of the animals that Lambert has). "She and Brendan decided after their third wedding anniversary, they would start trying. Miranda is thrilled and Brendan has always wanted to [have kids with her]," the insider told the outlet.

McLoughlin, however, does have a child from a previous relationship.

Brendan McLoughlin and Miranda Lambert do not have any children of their own, but the former police officer shares a child with his ex, Kaihla Rettinger. People reported that McLoughlin and Rettinger welcomed their first (and only) kiddo on November 5, which is only three days after he met the country music superstar. The outlet also shared that weeks later, McLoughlin and Rettinger celebrated Thanksgiving with their son, though it's not entirely clear if they were a couple or not. However, a source close to McLoughlin notes that there was a little bit of "overlap" between McLoughlin's relationship with Rettinger and his one with Lambert — awkward! The same insider also notes that the former cop "had a history of cheating."

To make things even more dramatic, another woman was also involved in McLoughlin's seemingly messy love life. He and a woman named Jackie Bruno were engaged just months before he and Lambert shocked the world by tying the knot in a surprise ceremony. What's more, the romance between Bruno and Rettinger allegedly ended because Rettinger revealed to Bruno that she was expecting McLoughlin's child.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Rettinger is a lawyer in New York City. She seems to have a pretty good job as her profile lists her title as AVP, or Assistant Vice President, of Global Ex ETFs. Rettinger appears to remain out of the spotlight, contrary to Lambert and McLoughlin, who very much live in the public eye.

While not much is known about Brendan McLoughlin's ex and the mother of his child, Kaihla Rettinger, Lambert has been pretty open about taking on the role of a stepmother to McLoughlin's son. In 2019, the country music superstar spoke with Extra's Alecia Davis at the CMA Fest. At the time, she and McLoughlin were newly married, and she seemed to embrace her new role as a stepmom with open arms. "My stepson is amazing," she told the outlet. "I'm loving that whole phase, and I've raised a million dogs, so I feel like I've got that part of my womanly/motherly thing is full, so this is a whole new journey. It's great."

In the same interview, Lambert revealed that she and her hubby were splitting time between New York City (where McLoughlin lived) and Nashville, where Lambert (and pretty much every other country music singer) lives. "We have the best of both worlds," Lambert added. "We spend time in New York, we get to see our adorable nugget, then we get to come back to the farm and have the quiet life. I'm enjoying the balance."

McLoughlin keeps his son out of the spotlight, and it does not appear the kiddo appeared in any posts on the former NYPD officer's Instagram feed. It also seems that Rettinger has an Instagram account, but it's set to private. However, in her bio, she has a baby emoji listed, presumably in honor of her and McLoughlin's son.