Paul Eksteen
Gwen Stefani loves Blake Shelton.
The pair are supposed to be rival coaches on American talent search show The Voice, but found themselves falling for each other. Perhaps the pair bonded amid the pain of their failed marriages: Shelton divorced his wife, fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, in July, while Stefani filed for divorce after 13 years of marriage to Gavin Rossdale, in October.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Stefani gushed that she loved Shelton.
The confession came out of the blue. Stefani, sitting with fellow coach and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, was asked which qualities she was most thankful for in her fellow coaches.
Levine was fastest on the trigger: "F**k Blake. I've known Blake for too long. Blake's just my buddy," he said. "I'm just kidding. I love you, Blake! Kinda. Ish."
At which point, Stefani leaned in and said: "I love you too, Blake. Ish."
"You hear that?" replied Levine. "Trouble. Context. You f**king screwed yourself with that one," he said as Stefani giggled.
She and Shelton had only just confirmed their budding romance this month in a statement sent to Us Weekly. Stefani also appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres show and said she was “in a good space” and having a lot of fun.
But love? Just a month after your 13-year marriage disintergrated? Who wants to pour scorn on true love, but perhaps there’s more to this than meets the eye.