It was a birthday to remember for Blake Shelton. In mid-June, the country star — who turned 48 on June 18 — and wife Gwen Stefani traveled to Italy with Stefani’s three sons for a family vacation. In typical tourist fashion, they did some sightseeing at the Vatican Museum, checked out the famed Trevi Fountain and had lunch in San Marco Square. During an afternoon gondola ride in Venice, Shelton and Stefani, 54, sipped from champagne glasses and exchanged a sweet kiss.
“They did a lot of shopping and dined at the finest restaurants, but they also relaxed and ordered room service and watched TV,” a source exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “They all had a blast.”
Shelton and Stefani have had much to celebrate lately. In addition to Shelton’s big day, the couple marked their third wedding anniversary on July 3. “It feels surreal because the time has flown by,” says a second source.
The glamorous pop star and the rough-and-tumble country singer famously fell for each other in 2015, in the aftermath of their very public divorces (she from her husband of nearly 13 years, rocker Gavin Rossdale, with whom she shares Kingston, 18, Zuma, 15, and Apollo, 10; he from fellow country musician Miranda Lambert following four years of marriage).
They haven’t looked back since. “Gwen and Blake are doing amazing,” adds the second source. “They’re more in love than ever.”
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Unbreakable Bond
Few saw the unlikely romance coming. “They are the quintessential opposites-attract type of couple,” says a third source, noting that Shelton and the No Doubt frontwoman “complement each other in the best ways. People around them didn’t understand the pairing at first,” adds the source, “but now they see how strong the love is [between them].”
Initially, they bonded over their shared heartache. “It was really just two broken people that started leaning on each other,” Stefani said during a February interview. She joined Shelton as a judge on The Voice in 2014, and they became close the following year.
“Gwen and Blake both went through dark divorces,” says the third source. “It was a hard time for them. Their connection was the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Shelton has credited Stefani with saving his life. “It was like literally falling off a cliff,” he recalled, “and a hand reached out and caught me.”
Neither Shelton nor Stefani went into the marriage lightly. “Both had some hesitation about remarrying after divorces, but felt this was different,” says a fourth source.
They were together for six years before the “God’s Country” singer popped the question in a custom-made chapel he’d built for Stefani on his 1,300-acre Ten Point Ranch in Oklahoma in 2020.
“One of the main reasons they waited to get engaged was because Blake wanted to finish building the chapel for Gwen on his property,” says the first source. “He felt it would be really special to propose there.”
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So Connected
They have more in common than it might seem. “Gwen and Blake both have a passion for adventure and their careers,” says the first source, with the fourth source noting that making music together “brings them closer and lets them geek out creatively.”
When disagreements arise, the first source says the pair don’t take digs at each other: “They talk things through until they come to a resolution that works for the both of them.”
Adds the fourth source: “They still butt heads sometimes about work-life balance, but always work it out. They’ve gotten closer by tackling challenges together and supporting each other’s dreams.”
Family comes first for both of them. Shelton has embraced his role as stepdad to Kingston, Zuma and Apollo.
“I didn’t know what I was signing up for, but I was all about signing up for it,” he said in a 2022 interview. “And every day, I’ve fallen in love with the boys as much as I do with Gwen.”
The first source says that while Stefani’s sons are close with Rossdale, they’ve come to see Shelton “as a father figure as well,” adding, “Blake loves them so much.” Stefani’s thrilled to see how close they’ve gotten.
“Gwen’s sons are her whole world,” continues the first source. “If Blake hadn’t accepted them with his entire [soul], that would’ve been a deal breaker. It melts her heart to see him with the boys. Their family has blended perfectly.”
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A Whole New World
Shelton has opened their eyes to the joys of country living. “The boys have been able to experience things in Oklahoma that they’ve never really done in L.A., like campfire cooking, farming, planting trees and shooting off fireworks,” says the first source, noting that Shelton enjoys hosting gatherings at the ranch and the couple’s house on Lake Texoma. “I absolutely love being the person that gets to introduce them to that stuff,” he said in April.
Stefani is a convert. “I’m not really a dirt person or like a bug person or a hot person — but you sort of get over it all. It’s so beautiful [there],” she’s said.
According to the third source, “When Gwen’s not working in L.A., they’re in Oklahoma. She prefers it to the fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle.” Shelton also introduced country music to the kids.
“Kingston used to say that he hates it,” says the first source, “but now he appreciates it much more.”
The fourth source says Shelton and Stefani get a kick out of jam sessions with the kids as well as movie nights, adding, “They’re big on family time.”
Their shared faith is also important to them. Stefani — a devout Catholic — “was the one who ignited Blake’s religious beliefs,” says the third source. “They go to church with the kids and hold the same values. It’s a priority for them.”
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What’s Next
Since Shelton left The Voice after season 23, he’s been keeping busy making new music (he released “Pour Me a Drink” with Post Malone on June 21) and with his bar and restaurant chain, Ole Red. Stefani reunited with No Doubt to headline Coachella in April, and she’ll be back on The Voice for season 26 in the fall.
“Blake plans to visit Gwen on set when he’s in town,” says the third source. “They’re very involved in each other’s careers and are very good about spending time with each other even when they’re working.” Adds the fourth source, “Gwen and Blake are each other’s biggest fans.”
For more on Shelton and Stefani, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
With reporting by Sarah Jones, Andrea Simpson & Amanda Williams
