Blake Shelton hit ‘rock bottom’ and Gwen Stefani became his ‘rebound deal’

Who would have thought that two music stars nursing shattered hearts would find lasting love in what they both initially dismissed as a “rebound deal.”

In 2015, Blake Shelton, one of country music’s biggest stars, found himself in a dark and devastating place.  The country music powerhouse recently revealed he had “hit rock bottom” during this period, while maintaining his professional obligations as a coach on NBC’s The Voice. It was on the set of the singing competition show that Shelton discovered an unexpected confidant in Stefani, who was navigating her own marital dissolution with Gavin Rossdale after thirteen years together. The timing created a unique bond, as both performers were processing similar pain in the glaring spotlight of public attention.

Divorce is messy and isolating, but going through it in the public eye adds another layer of scrutiny. For Shelton and Stefani, that isolation disappeared when they found each other. Shelton would later describe it as a kind of miracle, meeting someone who understood the pain of a very public, very personal heartbreak.

But let’s not pretend they didn’t have doubts. Even Shelton admitted they both saw their connection as a temporary distraction. “Rebound deal” is the phrase he used, and to be fair, it’s how a lot of people saw it at the time.

By late 2015, they went public with their relationship. What many thought was a fling started to look more like a real partnership. Shelton has been candid about how much Stefani helped him through his lowest moments, even going so far as to say she “saved his life.” Stefani, on the other hand, described Shelton as a gift she hadn’t been expecting, a source of hope when her world felt like it was falling apart.

She was candid about her insecurities, questioning whether she was “enough” or if she was moving too fast. Starting over in her 40s wasn’t easy, even for someone as wildly successful as Stefani. Their relationship quickly evolved into something deeper. By 2021, the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony on Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch, surrounded by family and close friends.

Their longevity has surprised even them. What began with the modest expectation of temporary comfort evolved into a partnership that continues to deepen. As Shelton noted in interviews, their relationship “constantly feels like it’s going to the next level,” defying the typical trajectory of rebound romances. Stefani has been equally forthcoming about the relationship’s challenges, acknowledging the insecurities and “drama” that sometimes emerge even in stable partnerships.