Gwen Stefani recently shared her thoughts on her highly publicized divorce from Gavin Rossdale, which was finalized in 2016. In a new interview with The Guardian, the “Sweet Escape” hitmaker, 55, opened up about the conclusion of her marriage to Bush rocker Rossdale, 59, whom she married in 2002 and has three sons with: Kingston, 18, Zuma, 16, and Apollo, 10.
While promoting her new album, Bouquet, the No Doubt frontwoman provided a rare glimpse into her personal life during that challenging time. She referred to her divorce as a “catastrophe,” and also said that becoming romantically involved with her (second and current) husband Blake Shelton “felt like a second chance at life.”
Gwen Stefani Opens Up About Her 'Catastrophe' Gavin Rossdale Divorce And 'Second Chance At Life' With Blake Shelton
In 1995, Stefani and Rossdale first crossed paths when her band, No Doubt, opened for his band, Bush, along with the Goo Goo Dolls, during a tour.
After twenty years together, including thirteen years of marriage, Stefani filed for divorce from Rossdale in August 2015, citing irreconcilable differences.
In the interview, Stefani revealed: "When my family fell apart it was a catastrophe. How do you pick yourself up from that?"
The "Luxurious" singer added: "But God put this other person there to love me." Stefani mentioned that flowers played a crucial role in inspiring her newest project.
At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Stefani and Shelton, 48, who share a residence in Oklahoma, discovered a "very old" structure on their property surrounded by blooming purple irises.
"Someone must have planted [them] centuries ago, but they’ve survived," Stefani added. She went on to say that she wrote the song "Purple Irises" that features her husband's vocals, about that "and how it feels to find true love and the insecurities of not wanting to lose it."
The "Hollaback Girl" artist continued: "I never listened to country music, so while Blake was super successful, I never even knew he existed before I met him."
The Voice coach (who met and first crossed paths with Shelton on set of the NBC musical competition show) continued: "When he heard 'Purple Irises,' he loved it so much he ended up singing on it."
The GXVE Beauty mogul and "God's Country" crooner began dating in November 2015, got engaged in October 2020 and wed in July 2021 at Shelton's Ten Point Ranch near Tishomingo, Oklahoma. Now, they continue to warm fans' hearts with heartfelt duets and public shoutouts to each other on social media.
