Odd Things About Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton's Relationship

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are always together: at work on The Voice, in the recording studio for duets like "Go Ahead and Break My Heart," and just about everywhere else (especially Instagram and red carpets). The couple seem awfully in love, but there are a few strange facets to their hyper-public relationship, including the fact that Stefani had no idea who Shelton was for a long time.

"I didn't even know he existed before the show," Stefani told Andy Cohen on his SiriusXM Radio Andy show in September 2019. "I didn't even know that he was a human being on this planet." The ska-turned-pop icon and the proud hillbilly have since made it no secret that they're outright obsessed with one another, with Stefani even admitting to Hoda Kotb on Today that she went back and watched old interviews with Shelton after they'd started dating.

From duets to daddy duty to wearing one another on their feet (seriously), here are just a few of the weirdest things about this pairing.

Blake Shelton and country singer Miranda Lambert divorced in July 2015. Gwen Stefani filed for divorce from Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale in August 2015. Stefani and Shelton went public with their romance in October 2015. Neither Lambert nor Rossdale reportedly believed that the timing was coincidental.

Sources close to Rossdale told TMZ that he thinks Stefani accused him of cheating with the family nanny to cover up her own indiscretions with Shelton, that he sensed something was up between his ex-wife and the country crooner for a while before the divorce — and that the No Doubt rocker feared Rossdale would "take her to the cleaners" in their split settlement if he found out about their relationship sooner.

Meanwhile, a Lambert insider told E!, "She was not surprised to hear of the romance between Blake and Gwen. They were always pretty flirty. Miranda and Blake were on the rocks on and off and knew that this could always be a possibility." No kidding: In December 2014, while Shelton and Stefani were still married to their exes, Stefani posted a photo on Instagram of herself sitting on the "God's Country" singer's lap while filming The Voice.

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani each revealed in separate interviews how uncanny the timing of their respective divorces were. Shelton told Billboard that when he broke the news of his split from Miranda Lambert to his colleagues at The Voice, he was blown away by her reaction. "I looked over at Gwen — who I didn't really know — and she had these huge tears in her eyes. I thought, 'Wow, she feels super bad for me!'" He said they chatted about their breakups and consoled one another. "I thought it was going to be another one of those things-are-going-to-be-OK talks. She didn't tell me much, because we didn't know each other at the time," Shelton recalled. "But she said, 'I'm going through something very similar to what you're going through. I understand. And I hate it.'"

Meanwhile, Stefani told Harper's Bazaar that her marriage was pretty much over in February 2015, though she and Gavin Rossdale hadn't filed for divorce until that August. When Shelton revealed his marriage was ending that July, Stefani recalled that she felt "exposed somehow, you know? But it was like being handed this gift of a friend who was going through the exact same thing at the exact same time."

Ever since Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani came out as a couple, it's all either of them talks about. They've each given countless interviews and sound bytes about the relationship, with Stefani even dedicating her own Glamour Women of the Year award to Shelton for "kissing her back to life," despite being in the entertainment industry and shattering rock n' roll glass ceilings for about 20 years on her own without his help.

While it's great that these two are so smitten, it's unusual for a celebrity couple to be this publicly over the top about their romance, especially so early on, and it gives us some Tom Cruise couch-jumping vibes. During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2016, Stefani said (via ET) that she "thought it would be a good idea not to talk about Blake," but of course, Shelton was almost the only thing she and her hostess discussed during her sit down interview.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton both had new records come out shortly after going very public with their relationship. They're both on a hit NBC show that has solid ratings, but has failed to produce a successful artist from its ranks. Shelton may have needed an image makeover after his split from Miranda Lambert, because, well, everyone in the country world loved them together (and he was accused of cheating with late singer Cady Groves). Stefani may not have wanted to be seen as a scorned woman, so nabbing a new man quickly helped her keep her image as a hot heartthrob. 

This isn't too say they aren't actually in love, but there are a lot of mutual benefits from the pair being so open about their relationship, and neither has shied away from the publicity that their romance has generated. In fact, just days after speculation first started that they were dating, Shelton's rep confirmed the relationship to E!.

Even Stefani and Shelton themselves realize how ridiculous their relationship can seem to the outside world. In November 2015, just days after going public at a Halloween party, Stefani told Ryan Seacrest (via People), "I think that NBC did that. Two divorced people at the same time." In May 2016, Shelton told DJ Bobby Bones (via People) of his If I'm Honest... album, "I just want to tell the truth about what happened [in the divorce from Lambert] ... I figure since everybody else is cashing in on my life, I might as well get some of that too."

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton keep the PDA going on The Voice pretty constantly. In March 2017, Shelton offered to propose to Stefani on the show, which she said would be "a dream come true." They're constantly flirting on air. The Voice producer Mark Burnett told People in September 2016, "I had no idea by coming to work on a fun music show they would find the loves of their life, and the light exploded and they are happier than you can imagine. We are all thrilled to be their friends and see the happiness."

Still, it's reportedly not all roses and PDA behind the scenes. A production source told R Online, "Gwen and Blake are actually becoming really competitive with each other this season and it is quite fun to watch. Whereas they used to help each other and kind of be on the same team, they are both really out to win it this time around ... They have been arguing a lot backstage when the cameras are not rolling. Blake and Gwen are not calling each other cutesy names like they used to and they are not acting all lovey-dovey like they have been in the past!"

However, as former fellow The Voice coach Adam Levine told Howard Stern, "If you had told me Gwen Stefani was going to be with Blake Shelton, I would have told you were out of your f**king mind. But it's so wrong, that it's right." He added that they're "so in love it's disgusting."

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have collaborated on a number of songs, in order: "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" in 2016, "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" in 2017, "Nobody But You" in 2019, and "Happy Anywhere" in 2020. They've charted successfully but predominantly in the country realm: "Nobody But You" peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the country charts, "Happy Anywhere" at No. 56 and No. 10, and "Go Ahead and Break My Heart" at No. 70 and No. 13. However, their collaborations haven't really furthered Stefani's pop career much.

The musical couple told People ahead of the Grammys in February 2020 that they probably wouldn't record an album together, but would keep collaborating. "We have done a lot of music together, actually. We wrote two songs together — that's a lot," Stefani said. "Because he never does that. He's sharing his talent with me!"

Gwen Stefani is a fashion and style icon, with her longtime label, LAMB, and her signature edgy, glam rock look. However, since she and Blake Shelton have gotten together, she's rocked a lot more camo baseball caps, denim, and trucker hats than she ever did when she was married to Gavin Rossdale. A source told OK!, "He wants her in denim and she wants him in silks and linens ... It's all friendly fun and they tease each other relentlessly over their choice of attire when they go out. In fact it's a long-standing joke among their friends to see how mismatched 'Mr Chalk and Cheese' are looking that day."

For her part, Stefani insisted to Haute Living that despite her frequent rocking of camo and trucker hats nowadays, she's actually gotten "more feminine" in her aesthetic, but admitted to having a new wardrobe staple. "It's funny because I would always think that was so foreign to me, like I would never wear a cowboy boot," she told Dua Lipa when the "New Rules" singer filled in to host Jimmy Kimmel Live! in August 2020. "But yes, I actually have a bunch of cowboy boots now, and I have an old pair that are now five years old, because that's how long we've been hanging out, me and Blake Shelton." 

Stefani also owns a pair of Vans with her man's face on them, which she sported in their "Nobody But You" music video, and rocked a dress with shells they'd collected together on the Grammys red carpet in February 2020. Enough.

If this celeb romance started in late October 2015 as Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani claimed, the fact that he met her sons, Kingston, Zuma and Apollo, within just two months is somewhat shocking. Thankfully, the relationship seems to be working out and her boys love the country crooner. A source told People, "Blake loves kids and has been having a lot of fun when he spends time with Gwen's kids. They adore him." When asked if she thinks Shelton will be a good dad someday, Stefani said on Today, "He is a good dad, actually. He's been helping me out a lot!"

In June 2020, Stefani posted a Father's Day tribute to Shelton (not to ex-husband Gavin Rossdale). In a Today interview that July, Shelton admitted the pressure was tough to cope with at times, but that he adored the boys. "That's a scary moment for me, because it's one thing for me to be with the kids all the time and be their buddy," he said, "but then you do have to consider after a while that they start to listen to things that you say. And there's a lot of responsibility that comes with that."

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton's relationship has moved at lightning speed. In August 2016, just a year after Stefani filed for divorce from Gavin Rossdale, sources told People that she and Shelton were discussing wedding plans. "Rumors are circulating in their circle that they've begun preparations for a wedding," the insider said. "There's no date set, but they're planning ahead and having fun talking about it ... It seems the timing [for an engagement] just hasn't been right, but Gwen is very, very happy with Blake. She always acts giddy when she talks about Blake."

Indeed, the pair were said to have hired wedding planner Jerri Woolworth, who's planned events for the NFL and CMA Awards, and by November 2016, they were reportedly finalizing wedding arrangements, but there was a snag: Stefani's strict Catholic faith. A source cited by People claimed that because Stefani wants a church wedding with Shelton, she'll actually have to get an annulment from Rossdale, which is both difficult and time-consuming. 

Still, an insider alleged to ET that this wasn't the sole reason why they haven't walked down the aisle yet. "Gwen's faith is incredibly important to her but it isn't the only thing keeping them from a big wedding," the source dished. "They made a deal to take it slow after their divorces. Neither Gwen nor Blake wanted to rush into marriage. They have been living the life they have always dreamt of together and haven't felt the need."