What All Of Gwen Stefani's Exes Have Said About Her
Gwen Stefani, multi-platinum solo artist, three-time Grammy winner, and fashion icon, is proof that you really can have it all. By this, we mean that Stefani has the once-in-a-lifetime career success that most entertainers only ever dream of, on top of a loving marriage. But happiness didn't just fall into the "Hollaback Girl" singer's lap overnight. Stefani was married to Gavin Rossdale for 13 years before the Bush frontman cheated on her with the family nanny and ended their relationship for good in 2015, per Us Weekly.
Upon reflection, Stefani was able to see the red flags that dominated her time with Rossdale. As she moved forward, she became friends with Blake Shelton on the set of "The Voice," and their friendship eventually blossomed into romance. Coincidentally, Shelton was going through a divorce of his own at the same as Stefani, and the two bonded over their experiences, via People. They wed in 2021 in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
Now, Stefani isn't one to date around. The No Doubt singer has only ever had three public relationships, so you know that when she introduces a SO to the world, it's a big deal. As a result, her fans and exes appear to have a lot of respect for her dating choices. Now that she's married to the man of her dreams — we see you, Shelton — those exes continue to have nice things to say about her (for the most part, anyway).
Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal stayed friends
Before Gavin Rossdale, there was No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, Gwen Stefani's first true love. They were together for seven years, beginning when the "Rich Girl" was just a teenager, and she knew instantly that he was special. "I was so in love and obsessed with Tony Kanal, and he knows that ... As soon as he opened the car door I was like, 'I love him,'" Stefani told Howard Stern in a 2016 interview. She described their split as one of the most painful times of her life, but her heartbreak fueled No Doubt's success. In fact, the band's chart-topping hit "Don't Speak" was directly inspired by Stefani and Kanal's breakup.
"Because it was so real, and we were living it, all that stuff came up in that song," Kanal told Complex. "That's our lives, and that's what was happening to us at that time. It was a very, very intense period ... and it was all put out there to share with everybody." On a separate occasion, he told The Guardian that talking about the song in interviews and on tour was like reliving their breakup. Somehow though, the pair managed to stay friends. "Obviously, there's a whole past we both have behind us ... But at this point, we're just two very good friends in a band," Kanal shared with The Buffalo News in 1997. "Right now, all we want to do is get through this tour and make music."
Gavin Rossdale says he and Gwen are 'very different people'
Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal ended up being "Cool," but things with her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale are a little more complicated. Rossdale, the unfaithful party, does appear to have regrets about the way his marriage ended. In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, he described his most embarrassing moment as "the gross and lopsided [specter] of the crumbling of my marriage." In a separate interview with The Sun, he noted that divorce was "completely opposite to what I wanted." The rocker added, "[Gwen and I] had 20 years together and that in itself is pretty incredible. It's a lifetime. I still think she's incredible. It was a lovely 20 years and we have three amazing children. There were a lot of positives, and with time they'll become more and more obvious."
Yet, Rossdale has struggled with Stefani's relationship with Blake Shelton, in particular clashing over parenting styles. "I think you can go one of two ways — you can either do everything together and really co-parent ... or you can just parent. And I think we just parent," he told host Adrianna Costa on the "Not So Hollywood" podcast. According to the Bush frontman, he and his ex "definitely have some particularly opposing views" and "are very different people." Reading between the lines, it doesn't sound like co-parenting has been smooth sailing. Adding insult to injury, Stefani is happier than ever with Shelton, while Rossdale's love life has suffered in the wake of his divorce.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani are madly in love
Speaking of Blake Shelton, he's not an ex, but he has talked a lot about his feelings for Gwen Stefani. After the No Doubt singer accepted his proposal, Shelton immortalized the special moment on Instagram, writing, "@gwenstefani thanks for saving my 2020 ... And the rest of my life ... I love you. I heard a YES!" The engagement wasn't news to the couple's fans, who knew they were madly in love based on the way they'd been gushing over each for years. "How can I not be? She is the greatest. She is the greatest," Shelton said on "Today" in 2018 (via E! News).
After tying the knot, the "God's Country" crooner called his first year of marriage to Stefani "incredible," per CMT, and he's increasingly prioritized his personal life in lieu of his career. In 2023, People reported that the winningest coach in "The Voice" history was stepping down from the show to spend more time with his family, aka Stefani. That same year, he acknowledged that no career success will ever top his relationship with his wife. "I kind of stopped checking things off my list of great accomplishments in my life when I married Gwen, so this is just icing on the cake," Shelton said upon accepting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (via People). "I love you so much, and that's the great thing that's happened along this journey."