Gwen Stefani reveals unexpected ‘third party’ involved in marriage to Blake Shelton

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are approaching their fourth wedding anniversary and continue to be more devoted than ever in their love for each other.

However, they do have a secret ingredient to their almost 10-year relationship, and it’s not what people might think.

Keeping the spark alive

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The No Doubt songstress revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show that the best marriage advice she had ever received was to “make sure you have a third party,” before pointing upwards at the sky.

The devout Catholic was referring to how God and her faith play an important role in her relationship with Blake, allowing them a fresh perspective on their love. Gwen then revealed that her preferred date night with her husband was a night in with their dogs and a slew of snacks.

“I’m literally like — couch, blanket, cookies, chips,” she told the host. “I have the dogs right here; we have two couches…Blake’s on that couch and we’re like ‘Hi!'”

“I would sit next to him,” she quipped, “but he’s gigantic and we don’t fit anywhere.”

A rocky start

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The couple first met on The Voice in 2014 as judges on the hit show, with Gwen’s marriage to her rocker husband Gavin Rossdale breaking down at the same time that Blake was on the rocks with his country superstar wife Miranda Lambert. 

“We had just met, and it was chaos,” Gwen revealed to People about feeling the spark between them after divorcing their spouses. “Both of our lives were in complete turmoil, all over the ground. Nothing could save us at that point.” 

“There was a point where I was like, ‘I can’t even talk to you. This is insane. I already have enough problems. This is not happening anymore. We’re not going to text or nothing.'”

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Blake wouldn’t be discouraged though, and won her over with a song he was working on for her. The pair confirmed their relationship to the public in November 2015, and have been madly in love ever since.

The “Sweet Escape” singer opened up about how meeting Blake was a “miracle” that came at the time she needed it the most.

“Something that I wanted since I was a little girl is to be married and have this love that I saw my parents have and have babies. That dream was completely ruined; it was crushed, and I had to figure out how I was going to move forward and make a new dream,” she told the publication. “And God putting Blake in my life was just that miracle.”

Stepping into parenthood

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Blake is a proud stepfather to Gwen’s three children, whom she shares with Gavin. He dotes on Kingston, 18, Zuma, 16, and Apollo, 11, introducing them to country music and taking them on father-son trips.

“Even though I’m a stepparent, I take that job very seriously,” he told People. “The kids see me as a very important person in their life.”

“For now, that’s our kids,” he added. “This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again.” The Grammy nominee left his role on The Voice in 2022 to be more present for Gwen and her sons.

To learn more about Gwen’s life with Blake, see below…