When Gwen Stefani sat down with Drew Barrymore this week, she dropped a revelation that raised eyebrows – her marriage to country crooner Blake Shelton thrives thanks to a “third party.” But fans can relax: she’s talking about a higher power, not a scandal.
When Barrymore asked about the best love advice she’d ever received, the pop icon pointed skyward and said, “Best advice would probably be, make sure you have a third party.” The No Doubt frontwoman was referring to God, not suggesting relationship drama.
Stefani, 55, a devout Catholic, wasn’t shy about putting faith at the center of their love story. Unlike many celebrity couples who keep their spiritual lives private, Stefani and Shelton, 48, openly credit their religious connection as the foundation of their bond.
Their unlikely romance sparked in 2014 on the set of “The Voice,” though not at first sight. Both wore wedding rings then – Stefani married to rocker Gavin Rossdale and Shelton to country star Miranda Lambert.
When parallel divorces hit, their connection deepened through shared pain. “We had just met, and it was chaos,” Stefani told People magazine. “Both of our lives were in complete turmoil, all over the ground.”
The path to love had roadblocks. At one point, Stefani tried pulling the plug on their budding relationship.
Shelton’s songwriting skills saved their romance. The country star sent Stefani a half-finished song, tapping into her songwriter’s heart. This musical olive branch evolved into their 2016 duet “Go Ahead and Break My Heart” – and cemented their bond.
Stefani sees divine timing in their union, calling Shelton’s arrival in her life “a miracle” and “a second chance.” After her divorce crushed childhood dreams of lasting marriage, she said, “God putting Blake in my life was just that miracle.”
The faith connection flows both ways. Shelton told Fox News his wife sparked his spiritual awakening, inspiring him to “believe in God now more than I ever have in my life” and attend church regularly for the first time. He added that their relationship only “makes sense” when you “put God into it.”
Despite their A-list status, the couple craves simplicity. Asked by Barrymore about date night preferences, Stefani chose home over Hollywood: “For sure in. I’m literally like, couch, blanket, cookies, chips.”
Their domestic bliss sounds refreshingly normal: “I have the dogs right here; we have two couches… Blake’s on that couch and we’re like ‘Hi!’”
Their romance officially began in 2015, culminating in a July 2021 wedding at Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch. “The Voice” host Carson Daly officiated while Shelton, ever the songwriter, delivered musical vows.
The union created an instant family, with Shelton embracing his role as stepfather to Stefani’s three sons with ex-husband Rossdale. “Even though I’m a stepparent, I take that job very seriously,” Shelton told People magazine “The kids see me as a very important person in their life.”
On paper, the punk-pop princess and country boy king seem mismatched. Yet they’ve found harmony professionally too, recording duets like “Nobody But You,” “Happy Anywhere,” and their recent “Purple Irises” on Stefani’s “Bouquet” album.
For couples seeking their own lasting love story, Stefani’s formula is simple but profound: invite faith to be the third voice in your relationship.
