The singer is finally ready to marry Blake Shelton.
Even though Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have been together for years now and even got engaged last year, there was something holding them back from officially getting married. And now it looks like the two will be able to finally tie the knot. Stefani had been previously married to musician Gavin Rossdale for 13 years but it ended because of Rossdale’s three-year affair with the family’s longtime nanny, Mindy Mann. The two filed for divorce five years ago but the marriage wasn't annulled until recently. A source who spoke to Us Magazine said, “Gwen was told the decision was made by the Vatican tribunal. She will be receiving the notification in writing in the next few weeks, but it’s official.” This was important to Stefani and was a huge relief as "she wanted to get married by her priest and have the marriage recognized by the Catholic church.”
It seems the singer and The Voice coach is a person of faith and this was important for her to be able to move on to the next step with her current partner Blake Shelton. The 51-year-old always wanted to have her first marriage annulled so that "she can marry Blake and have it be recognized by the church." A source previously told Us that "Gwen’s religion has always been extremely important to her, and Blake is completely supportive of this.” The pair, who first met in 2015, announced their engagement in October. Shelton is very serious about being a stepdad to Stefani's kids with Rossdale, Kingston, 15, Zuma, 13, and Apollo, 7. "I don't know if it's as hard or harder or not as hard as being an actual, biological parent, you know?" Shelton said in an interview with KFROG's The Ride with Kimo & Heather, reports CNN. "I have a stepfather in my life who's one of my heroes. I love my stepfather and I look up to him and he's like a father to me, so I have a good inspiration in my life for how to do this and the kind of stepdad I want to be. And I take it very serious."
.@blakeshelton is a proud bonus dad! https://t.co/zmVCjNgqUl
— SoundsLikeNashville (@SoundsLikeNash) March 13, 2021
Stefani's been through a lot and it's heartwarming to see Shelton bring her joy. Her previous relationship with Rossdale reportedly left her devasted. The Bush frontman had a long-term relationship with Mann, who cared for the couple’s three sons. Initially, Rossdale said it was just a flirtation when Stefani found out about it. But he confessed to the affair months later. Then the Used to Love You singer made the decision to end their marriage. The admission “completely devastated her,” a source said. “She was mortified, livid, and embarrassed.” Rossdale allegedly also had an affair with Courtney Love. In 2010, during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, Courtney Love confessed to sleeping with Rossdale when he and Stefani were together. In 2004 DNA tests revealed that he even has a secret lovechild years before meeting Stefani.
Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale finally granted annulment by Catholic Church https://t.co/zOhdqmbmQK pic.twitter.com/HH1DnSWpUX
— Page Six (@PageSix) January 8, 2021
One might wonder how Stefani put up with so much pain from her former partner. "I wish it didn’t happen – I wish that all this wasn’t happening,” the singer said in a radio interview on The Tommy Show according to PEOPLE. “But at the same time, I feel like it was part of my life journey. Because of my situation right now, which we all know what I’m talking about, I feel like I go back and listen to a lot of that stuff and I’m, like, I get sick,” she explained. “You look at the songs and go, ‘That was a red flag. That was a moment where I was feeling just as bad as I feel today, and why did I keep it up?'" Despite the “many bad things” Stefani admits she has “got a lot of joy right now.” Apart from having Shelton in her life, she also admitted that writing music was her solace. “In my life, I’ve had two really bad heartbreaks and I’ve written some really incredible music out of it,” Stefani said of working through her pain in song. “I feel so lucky to have that, and to be able to share it.” She added, brightly, “There’s always good things that come out of bad things.”
And it looks like the No Doubt singer is ready to embrace it all. In December, Gwen opened up about what she hopes her wedding to Blake will be like while speaking with the radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest. "I just want my parents there at this point. My parents wouldn't come to Thanksgiving because they're so scared, so really would rather it not be a COVID situation,” she said. “I would rather not have masks … Even when you cut it down to just family, it's still too many people for COVID, so we're going to see what happens in the next few months.” From judging on a talent show, performing together, and leaning on each other for support, the two have had quite an incredible journey!
References:
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/courtney-love-gavin-cheated-on-gwen-with-me-2010274/
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/gwen-gavin-cover-tease-20151111/
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/12/entertainment/blake-shelton-gwen-stefani-stepdad/index.html
https://people.com/celebrity/gwen-stefani-on-gavin-rossdale-marriage-why-did-i-keep-it-up/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doWgXVs5rsY&ab_channel=OnAirWithRyanSeacrest
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Emma McIntyre (R) Jason Merritt
