The Wildest Relationship Rumors Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton Have Faced
It's hard to think of a pair of A-Listers more subject to the relentless stream of wild relationship rumors than Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton. On the whole, the stars mostly ignore the onslaught of seemingly endless speculation about their romance, however, the tabloids occasionally take things a step too far.
In one example of unfounded gossip about Shelton that breached the line for the country star, In Touch magazine (via The Washington Post) published a front-page "exclusive" titled, "The Real Story: REHAB For Blake." The report included a slew of accusations, including claims about Shelton's alleged drinking habits and infidelity, which the tabloid reported "are what helped torpedo his four-year marriage to Miranda [Lambert]." WaPo reported that Shelton filed a $1 million "defamation and false light invasion of privacy" suit against the tabloid's parent company, Bauer Publishing. The two parties eventually settled out of court.
Shelton's legal action, however, did little to stem the heavy flow of less litigious reports and salacious hearsay about his relationship with his co-star on "The Voice." Let's crank the rumor mill back a few turns to revisit how just how badly Stefani and Shelton have been put through the tabloid wringer.
No, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton did not secretly elope
Way back in October 2018, two years before they officially announced their engagement on their Instagram feeds, reports circulated that Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton had already secretly tied the knot. After "wedding crazy galpal" Stefani became "really adamant" about getting hitched, an allegedly reluctant Shelton gave in to her demands and whisked her off to Reno, Nevada, for a quickie secret ceremony, The National Enquirer claimed via Gossip Cop, which refuted the entire story.
According to the tabloid, the supposedly desperate duo acquired a marriage license, hunted down a preacher (in addition to some random strangers willing to act as witnesses presumably), and said "I do" behind closed doors, in the seclusion of their hotel room. "It was the way they wanted it — a marriage ceremony for just the two of them," an anonymous source alleged.
In January 2021, Stefani detailed the true story of how her romance and engagement to Shelton developed. She told "Today" that although they were initially, madly in love enough to walk down the aisle right away, since she and Shelton had been previously married, they intentionally took things slow in order to guard the "hearts" of their kids and extended family, who were all impacted by their respective divorces. "There was a lot of healing to do," Stefani said, adding that her engagement to Shelton wasn't rushed at all, but was "natural" and "right on time."
Claims about Blake Shelton's cold feet were completely baseless
Hot on the heels of the insensitive "devastating miscarriage" claims came a wild follow-up rumor from In Touch alleging that Blake Shelton was having second thoughts about marrying Gwen Stefani. Shelton's two previous "failed marriages" were cited as the main reason for making him "wary" of walking down the aisle again and leading him to ignore Stefani's alleged "major hints" about wanting to get hitched.
"Blake looks back and sees that he and [Kaynette Gern, his first wife] were happiest before they got married, and he only saw his relationship with [Miranda Lambert] go south after they got married," a supposed friend of the couple told the tabloid, adding ominously, "He knows marrying Gwen could end in disaster."
In addition, In Touch also claimed, via anonymous sources, that Shelton was also worried about tying the knot with Stefani because their failed IVF treatments and miscarriage made him fear she would never be able to give him the biological baby he so desperately desired. Neither Shelton nor Stefani have publicly responded to InTouch's unfounded claims.
Did Blake Shelton build a chapel on his Oklahoma ranch?
Shortly after Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton announced their engagement, US Weekly claimed to have the exclusive scoop on their impending nuptials. The magazine alleged that Shelton, "with help," had constructed a small private chapel for their big day, "on the grounds of his Oklahoma ranch." A source told the tab, "It's really a tribute to their love. They are going to get married in the chapel, most likely early next year." Why the rush? Well, according to another story, this time from Life & Style magazine, Gwen Stefani's three sons were eager for Blake Shelton to be their stepdad.
At the time of posting, there still hasn't been a wedding. However, according to ET Online, Stefani did have a bridal shower on June 10, 2021 with her close friends and family in attendance. During a surprise appearance on "TODAY with Hoda and Jenna," Shelton hinted that the couple would finally make it official in Summer 2021.
People backed up Shelton's wedding timeline hint, reporting that Stefani has always wanted to get married in the summer and that she started planning in earnest during the spring as the pandemic finally began to calm down.
No, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton's engagement was not a publicity stunt for The Voice
One of the wildest relationship rumors Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have faced is that they timed their engagement announcement as a publicity stunt to help boost "The Voice" ratings — despite the Season 19 premiere one week prior to their announcement attracting 8.2 million viewers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
OK! took it to the next level of B-A-N-A-N-A-S, with the claim that "The Voice" producers feared Stefani and Shelton would choose to announce their engagement after Nick Jonas had replaced Stefani as a coach for Season 20. According to the tab, breaking the news during Season 19 provided the chance for free "publicity" and a ratings boost for the show. OK! even alleged that producers had wanted Blake Shelton to pop the question "on a live show."
However, producers ultimately seemed content with the way things played out, as, according to OK!, "Now viewers will get to see in real-time these two planning a life together when the live shows return ... You know there will be cake and a celebration on the live show that night. Producers are already excited about showing off that huge ring on Gwen's finger during the show." For the record, sadly, there was no cake.
Blake Shelton is not the 'groomzilla' the tabloids have claimed
In January 2021, The National Enquirer (via PressReader) claimed Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton canceled their wedding after being "caught on camera in a vicious street fight." The story alleged "groomzilla" Shelton was furious Stefani wasn't pulling her wedding arranging weight, and that he'd spent "endless hours and millions of dollars planning their over-the-top nuptials."
Blake Shelton reportedly constructed a unique "dance floor" in his ranch barn and demanded everybody "wear protective shoe coverings," so it remained pristine. He also allegedly splashed out on a yacht to take guests on a romantic post-wedding cruise. However, all of Shelton's efforts were for nothing after a reportedly ungrateful Gwen Stefani shunned his tireless work and demanded they elope instead, leading to a "nuclear fallout."
Shelton shot the story down in an interview with USA Today, revealing he was actually relying on Gwen to plan the entire wedding because he is "classless" — and if it were up to him, the guests would all be chowing down on fast food. "I want her to do all of that stuff and handle it because it's going to be great," Shelton shared. "She's in the middle of planning the thing, and she's always so mindful ... of me."
The tabloids errantly reported that quarantine was a nightmare for Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton
After purchasing their first home together, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton were stressed to the max, according to US Weekly, with their relationship rumored to have hit another rocky patch. As Variety reported, Stefani and Shelton splashed out $13.2 million on a 13,000 square foot estate in the Encino, California foothills. The mega-mansion was built-to-spec and move-in ready, with a home cinema, state-of-the-art kitchen, luxurious pool, wet bar, spa, cabana, and a motor court.
"Friends say this move has turned into a nightmare," US Weekly's source claimed, adding, "This is the toughest period they've had so far, without a doubt." In reality, though, if you're multi-millionaires who don't have to self-move in a rented U-Haul, it sounds like the complete opposite of a torturous nightmare. And yet, Us Weekly further claimed that the stress of the purchase was exacerbated by Stefani and Shelton struggling to deal with being quarantined at his Oklahoma ranch.
However, the phony September 2020 report's timing was unfortunate as just one month later, the couple announced their engagement, and during a "TODAY" interview," Stefani shared that lockdown had been "magical." Stefani, Shelton, and the kids baked sourdough and "learned how to make peach jam;" they designed a garden and planted zinnia flowers. "It was just like a lot of stuff you kind of dream about doing, but you never have time to do," she said.
The tabloids wildly speculated about Gwen Stefani's pregnancy prospects
According to multiple reports, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton supposedly suffered a "devastating" miscarriage following IVF treatment. In Touch Weekly claimed Stefani and Shelton were committed to trying for another baby despite the tragic setback. The tab alleged Stefani was remaining upbeat by taking solace in the knowledge that despite previous fears she wouldn't be able to conceive, she now knew she could. "Getting pregnant was a sign that she needed to keep pursuing IVF treatments. She knows it will happen again," an alleged source told In Touch, adding that Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton were "excited" about the future and determined to continue with grueling IVF treatments.
Radar took a more sensationalist line to the same fabricated story, reporting that Stefani was so distraught over the purported loss that friends were worried about her emotional wellbeing. The gossip outlet went on to claim that Stefani and Shelton had shelved all plans to try for another baby, placing their relationship in "jeopardy." Adding some good old-fashioned ageism into the mix, Radar quoted a "pal" who alleged, "Gwen is 48 and was VERY insecure about not being able to give Blake a baby. She knows that would never be a problem for his ex Miranda Lambert because she's only 34! Now she feels like she can't compete at all."
Stefani's rep denied the reports in a statement to Gossip Cop, calling them "made up."
Gwen Stefani dealt with outrageous claims that she was 'piling on the pounds' while trying to get pregnant
In May 2019, Gwen Stefani was alleged to be back on IVF treatments again, as she went "all-out" to get pregnant with Blake Shelton. Radar claimed that after learning that "heavier women" have a better chance of conceiving, Stefani was allegedly "stuffing her face" with greasy high-calorie junk food, "like cheese doodles, French fries, and ice cream."
According to the tabloid, Stefani's primary focus in life at the time became "all about scarfing down stuff that will expand her waistline" in her never-ceasing bid to give Shelton the bio-baby he so desperately craves. But, it wasn't all sad, endless binging, as Radar claimed Stefani was "having a ton of fun" while eating with abandon.
The story was accompanied by some paparazzi photos of Stefani supposedly looking curvier than usual, and the website implored readers to, "Check out Gwen's growing gut, and whether packing on the pounds is working, in this Radar gallery." We've take the liberty of showing you a photo from the same set (above), and in our humble opinion, Stefani's figure looks no different than usual.
How many sets of twins will the tabloids predict for Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton?
It appears that "stuffing" all those fries and cheese doodles might have done the trick, as, by June 2020, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton were reportedly expecting once again. According to Radar's sister publication, Star (via Celebrity Insider), Stefani conceived following yet another round of IVF treatments, and, bingo, this time it was twins (again). Coincidently, the story followed hot on the heels of a joke Shelton had made during an episode of "The Voice" a couple of months previously. "She's delivering twins right now," he quipped, as reported by E!. "She's pushing them out. But I'm here working."
If that's not wild enough, OK! magazine, another sister publication of Star, had already reported a Stefani twins pregnancy story, too — a year earlier. The tab claimed Stefani and Shelton were not just expecting, but that they were also heading for a "shotgun wedding".
Shelton seemingly poked fun at Star 's report in his reply to a tweet from Gwen Stefani about her Harajuku Mini kids clothing range returning to Target. "Oooh, this stuff will be great for our twins!!!!" he joked.
Nope, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani weren't pursuing surrogacy either
The Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton baby fever tabloid obsession was still raging in November 2018. Shelving the IVF narrative for a hot minute, US Weekly claimed the couple had turned to surrogacy in their relentless bio-baby bid. "They are in the final stages of choosing the woman who will carry their baby," a source alleged, adding, "It's extremely important to Gwen that she give Blake a biological child, and Blake is so excited."
However, it seems Shelton is busy relishing every minute of being a stepdad. During an interview that aired on "The Ride with Kimo & Heather" (via CNN), Shelton explained that he takes the responsibility of parenting Kingston, 15, Zuma, 13, and Apollo, 7, "very seriously" and that he loves being with them. "I can't imagine my life without these kids now," he confessed. Shelton also revealed that he was raised by a stepdad, whose love influenced him to be the best possible parent to Stefani's sons. "I love my stepfather, and I looked up to him. And he's like a father to me," Shelton said. "So, you know, I have a good inspiration in my life to how to do this and the kind of stepdad I want to be."
Outside of Shelton's unrelated joy over stepfatherhood, Gossip Cop actually checked with Stefani's rep over the surrogate claim, and was told the Us Weekly's story was "fasle."
Was Blake Shelton really 'freaking out' over Gwen Stefani's 'extreme' cosmetic surgery?
"Blake To Gwen: Stop With The Fillers!" screamed an April 2021 Star headline (via Gossip Cop). The tabloid debunking site went on to describe Star's claim that as their wedding day approached, Blake Shelton was "'freaking out' more and more at his fiancee's 'increasingly extreme beauty routine.'" According to Star, Shelton was so disturbed by the alleged "extreme" changes Stefani had made to her face with "fillers and Botox" that he was becoming "afraid" of what his wife-to-be would look like by the time they exchanged vows.
However, Shelton appeared to have put all of the "freaking out" firmly behind him just a few weeks later. Blake Shelton gushed about Gwen Stefani during "The Voice special Road to Lives – 10th Anniversary Edition" when he was asked what the best part about being on the show has been.
"It's a no-brainer, right? I met my fiancée here," he said during a video clip posted on NBC's "The Voice" Instagram. "It's hard to resist Gwen Stefani. You know, here's this iconic rock star coming to be a coach on 'The Voice' in a black minivan. That was cool to me."
Blake Shelton never dumped Gwen Stefani over her 'jealousy and drama'
Oh boy, here we go again with the Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton break-up rumors. In Touch reported in March 2018 that Shelton had callously dumped Stefani right before jumping on a bus and embarking on a tour the month before, leaving her supposedly "heartbroken." According to the tabloid, it was Stefani's "jealousy and drama" that tipped Shelton over the edge and sparked the split, with a source claiming, "Blake's through with Gwen's neediness and all the drama: her demanding, critical ex-husband and her jealousy of him and other women."
However, after the alleged break-up (which clearly never happened), the couple didn't take long to "make-up," as 5 News reported that Gwen Stefani was spotted stepping out of Blake Shelton's tour bus in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on February 18, 2018. Jo Ellison, one of the station's reporters, even tweeted a photo that she managed to snap.
Oh, and Stefani then joined Shelton on stage in St. Louis, Missouri, a week later, posting a cute screenshot of the two together on stage snuggling and kissing.
Were Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton planning a St. Bart's wedding to avoid COVID rules?
In February 2021, a story surfaced claiming that Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton had found an ideal wedding location: the tropical haven of St. Barts. According to Life & Style (via Gossip Cop), Stefani and Shelton decided on the Caribbean island because of its lackadaisical approach to COVID-19 regulations and its absence of quarantine restrictions for travelers in possession of a negative PCR test.
However, just two months previously, Gwen Stefani had admitted during an interview with Ryan Seacrest that her parents were "so scared" of contracting COVID that they wouldn't even attend Thanksgiving dinner celebrations. Stefani also shared that her main wish for her wedding day was to have her parents there to share the moment.
A report in People backed up Stefani's sentiment, with a source telling the magazine that Shelton and Stefani's biggest priority for their wedding was ensuring a COVID safe environment for their guests, even if it meant delaying the ceremony. "Ever since they got engaged, they have both been adamant that no wedding will happen until it's safe for family and friends to attend," the source said. "Gwen expressed early on that she really wanted a summer wedding. She was upset earlier this year when it seemed to be no end in sight for the pandemic."
Gwen Stefani is definitely not still in love with Gavin Rossdale
The tabloids do like a good love triangle, so it was inevitably only a matter of time before Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton became the subject of one. In March 2019, Radar claimed Stefani was "harboring a shocking secret" that she revealed during a "staggering confession" to her friends. "Blake's Heartbreak! Gwen Still In Love With Ex Gavin Rossdale: 'He's Her One & Only'" alleged that Stefani remains obsessed with her former husband, considers him to be "the love of her life," and "would take Gavin back" in a heartbeat.
However, Stefani tells another story. In an interview with 94.7 Fresh FM's "The Tommy Show" (via People), the No Doubt singer admitted to feeling "sick" whenever she listens to the songs she wrote about Rossdale while they were still a couple. Stefani shared that although she wishes her marriage hadn't ended how it did — Rossdale reportedly had a 3-year affair with the couple's nanny, behind his wife's back — she has no regrets about the divorce as she feels "like it was part of my life journey."
"I've got a lot of joy right now," Stefani said about her relationship with Shelton, admitting that often in life, bad events can lead to positive and better things.