Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have been married for three years now, but according to the pop singer, their relationship was almost over before it started.

Stefani recently admitted that the timing of the couple’s love story made her very hesitant to jump into anything serious.

“We had just met, and it was chaos. Both of our lives were in complete turmoil, all over the ground. Nothing could save us at that point,” she reveals to People.

Stefani filed for divorce from then-husband Gavin Rossdale in August 2015, a month after Shelton’s divorce from fellow country star Miranda Lambert made headlines. The two The Voice stars bonded over heartbreak and took their budding relationship public that November.

But Stefani tried to stop it.

“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,'” she recalls now.

How Blake Shelton Won Gwen Stefani’s Heart

Shelton and Stefani met in 2014 while serving as coaches on The Voice. It’s not clear exactly when the “Purple Irises” singer broke things off, but she says it was music that brought the country singer back into her life. He started writing what would eventually become his 2016 song “Go Ahead and Break My Heart” and asked for her help.

“He sent it to me, and it was a half-written song,” she explains. “He was like, ‘Help me finish this.’ So I wrote him the verse back — the second verse on the song — and it’s just over text.”

“That was our first song that we ever wrote together. We were never even in the same room, but we were writing a song to each other,” she adds.

“I think he really wanted to impress me, because he doesn’t really write songs as much as he used to,” Stefani says. “And I love writing songs. That’s everything to me. If I want to feel like I have any kind of purpose or any kind of value or anything, it’s about writing a song. That’s where I get my fulfillment.”

Shelton’s plan worked: The pair went public with their relationship in 2015, became engaged in 2020 and tied the knot in 2021.

“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,” Stefani says, speaking of her divorce from Rossdale.

“And I had to figure out how I was going to move forward and make a new dream. And God putting Blake in my life was just that miracle.”

Blake Shelton + Gwen Stefani: A Timeline of Their Love

From an unlikely, cross-genre pairing to one of country music’s hottest “it” couples, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani have been on quite the journey together since they first met back in 2014 on the set of The Voice. Here is a look back at their fairy tale love story in pictures.

April 2014: Gwen Stefani Joins ‘The Voice’

Jason Merritt, Getty Images

April 2014: Gwen Stefani Joins ‘The Voice’

The moment that started it all. Gwen Stefani was officially announced as a coach for Season 7 of The Voice. She’d later say that she had no idea who Blake Shelton was before she joined the show — but it was there where they first met.

September 2014: Blake + Gwen Face Off in a Lipsync Battle

Larry Busacca, Getty Images

September 2014: Blake + Gwen Face Off in a Lipsync Battle

During an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, fans couldn’t get enough of the two singers’ chemistry during their lip sync battle. At this point, they were just friends and The Voice colleagues.

October 2015: Blake + Gwen Appear Together on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’

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October 2015: Blake + Gwen Appear Together on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’

Both recently single, Stefani and Shelton performed “Hotline Bling” during a taping of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Fans speculated that sparks are flying between the two, and relationship rumors started to gain traction.

November 2015: They Confirm That They’re Dating

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November 2015: They Confirm That They’re Dating

Fans called it: A month after that infamous Tonight Show appearance, a source told E! News that sure enough, Shelton and Stefani were an item. Reps for the country star eventually confirmed that they were true.

December 2015: The Couple Goes on a Fun Football Outing

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December 2015: The Couple Goes on a Fun Football Outing

In one of their first public appearances as a couple, Shelton and Stefani attended a football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals.

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

February 2016: PDA Starts Heating Up

During the 2016 pre-Grammy Gala, the two were spotted getting cozy.

February 2016: They Make Their Relationship Red Carpet Official

Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images

February 2016: They Make Their Relationship Red Carpet Official

Shelton and Stefani made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party in early 2016.

May 2016: They Collaborate on Music For the First Time

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

May 2016: They Collaborate on Music For the First Time

The couple performed a new duet called “Go Ahead and Break My Heart” at the Billboard Music Awards. They wrote the song together, and it wound up on the track list of Shelton’s If I’m Honest album.

June 2016: Blake Opens Up to ‘Billboard’ About His Love Story With Gwen

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

June 2016: Blake Opens Up to ‘Billboard’ About His Love Story With Gwen

Shelton shared some of the details of how their romance began in an interview with Billboard. “It went from checking in on each other once a week through email … to ‘Hey here’s my phone number if you ever want to text.’ Next thing I know, I wake up and she’s all I care about and I’m wondering if she feels the same about me,” he said.

November 2016: They Celebrate One Year Together

Rachel Murray, Getty Images

November 2016: They Celebrate One Year Together

The two stars celebrate their first anniversary as a couple.

January 2017: They Attend the People’s Choice Awards Together

Emma McIntyre, Getty Images

January 2017: They Attend the People’s Choice Awards Together

Shelton cleaned up at the People’s Choice Awards this year, winning overall Favorite Album as well as Favorite Male Country Artist. He also performed his single “Every Time I Hear That Song” on the awards show stage as Stefani watched from the audience.

November 2017: They Celebrate Two Years of Dating

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November 2017: They Celebrate Two Years of Dating

Two whole years of dating fly by.

December 2017: Blake + Gwen Get in the Holiday Spirit

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December 2017: Blake + Gwen Get in the Holiday Spirit

Shelton and Stefani co-write a holiday-inspired song called “You Make It Feel Like Christmas.” They debut the track with a live performance on The Voice.

June 2018: The Couple Gush About Each Other on Twitter

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

June 2018: The Couple Gush About Each Other on Twitter

The couple bring their PDA to Twitter while Stefani rehearses for her show in Las Vegas. “Sitting here watching @gwenstefani rehearsals it continues to shock me the amount of GIANT hits this girl has written … I highly recommend y’all catch her Vegas show if you can get tickets!!!” Shelton tweet. “OMG just seeing this now!! I love you! #Bestboyfriendever #favoriteperson,” Stefani responds.

November 2018: They Celebrate Three Years

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

November 2018: They Celebrate Three Years

Another year, another anniversary for these two shining stars.

April 2019: Blake + Gwen Walk a Red Carpet With Her Kids

Rich Fury, Getty Images

April 2019: Blake + Gwen Walk a Red Carpet With Her Kids

In April 2019, the couple attend the premiere for UglyDolls alongside Stefani’s three sons from her previous marriage to singer Gavin Rossdale.

June 2019: They Spend Father’s Day With Gwen’s Family

Rich Fury, Getty Images

June 2019: They Spend Father’s Day With Gwen’s Family

Stefani shares a sweet photo of Shelton kissing her dad on the cheek during Father’s Day 2019.

August 2019: They Attend a Movie Premiere Together With One of Blake’s Country Buddies

Getty Images for Forrest Film

August 2019: They Attend a Movie Premiere Together With One of Blake’s Country Buddies

Stefani starts hanging in more country circles. In August 2019, she and Shelton are spotted at the premiere for the movie Bennett’s War, posing for pictures with Shelton’s country star buddy Trace Adkins and Adkins’ wife, Victoria Pratt.

October 2019: A New House on the Horizon

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

October 2019: A New House on the Horizon

A source tells UsWeekly that the two lovebirds have bought a house together.

November 2019: Blake + Gwen Mark Four Years Together

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

November 2019: Blake + Gwen Mark Four Years Together

The pair celebrate four years of their love.

January 2020: Blake + Gwen Drop a New Duet Single ‘Nobody But You’

Amy Sussman, Getty Images

January 2020: Blake + Gwen Drop a New Duet Single ‘Nobody But You’

Shelton and Stefani let their love for each show in “Nobody But You,” their third duet (they’d previously worked together on a Christmas song, as well as “Go Ahead and Break My Heart”.) The song soared to the top of the country charts, becoming Stefani’s first-ever No. 1 country hit.

January 2020: Engagement Rumors Start Flying

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

January 2020: Engagement Rumors Start Flying

Were Stefani and Shelton about to get married? Already secretly married? You name it, fans speculated on it at the beginning of 2020. The couple didn’t seem to mind playing into the rumors a little bit: During their performance at the Grammys that year, Stefani had a ring on every finger — except that one.

March 2020: They Hunker Down Together For the COVID-19 Pandemi

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March 2020: They Hunker Down Together For the COVID-19 Pandemi

The world shut down in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic canceled tours, awards shows and — well, pretty much everything else! Shelton and Stefani spent their downtime together on his Oklahoma ranch, and it seemed to bring them even closer.

May 2020: Gwen Makes Her Virtual Grand Ole Opry Debut

Terry Wyatt, Getty Images

May 2020: Gwen Makes Her Virtual Grand Ole Opry Debut

It wasn’t a conventional Grand Ole Opry debut, but amid pandemic-related shutdowns, almost nothing was convention. Stefani made her virtual debut at the Opry live over video chat, amid “Nobody But You”‘s multi-week stand at No. 1 on the country charts.

July 2020: They Drop Their Next Duet, ‘Happy Anywhere’

Emma McIntyre, Getty Images

July 2020: They Drop Their Next Duet, ‘Happy Anywhere’

After the success of “Nobody But You,” the power couple teamed up once again for “Happy Anywhere.” No surprise here: It was another massive hit.

July 2020: Blake Welcomes His Stepdad Responsibilities With Open Arms

Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images

July 2020: Blake Welcomes His Stepdad Responsibilities With Open Arms

Around this time, Shelton started speaking openly about how much his newfound role of stepdad to Stefani’s three kids meant to him. He said the part that was “new” to him was the “responsibility” of parenting, whereas before, he’d only experienced being a fun and goofy figure in the kids’ lives. Later on that year, he’d enlist Stefani’s three sons’ help with planning his proposal.

October 2020: Blake Pops the Question

Terry Wyatt, Getty Images

October 2020: Blake Pops the Question

On Oct. 27, 2020, the moment fans had all been waiting for arrived: Shelton officially asked Stefani to be his wife.

December 2020: Blake Shelton Loses ‘The Voice’ to Gwen Stefani

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

December 2020: Blake Shelton Loses ‘The Voice’ to Gwen Stefani

On her 5th try, Stefani finally won a season of The Voice at the end of 2020 with artist Carter Rubin. She beat out her newly-minted fiancé, who is the winningest coach in The Voice history.

February 2021: Blake + Gwen Poke Fun at Their Odd Couple Status in a Super Bowl Commercial

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February 2021: Blake + Gwen Poke Fun at Their Odd Couple Status in a Super Bowl Commercial

Stefani and Shelton imagined a hilarious (and fictional) origin story for their relationship in a Super Bowl commercial, in which Stefani lists all the qualities she’s looking for in a love interest over a spotty 5G network. Thanks to technical difficulties, she winds up with Shelton — pretty much the opposite of everything she wanted.

June 2021: Blake Celebrates Father’s Day as a ‘Bonus Dad’ to Gwen’s Three Kids

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

June 2021: Blake Celebrates Father’s Day as a ‘Bonus Dad’ to Gwen’s Three Kids

Another year, another Father’s Day — and this time, Stefani celebrated Shelton’s role as a “bonus dad” to her three kids.

July 3, 2021: Blake + Gwen Get Married

Emma McIntyre, Getty Images

July 3, 2021: Blake + Gwen Get Married

The big day is here! Shelton and Stefani officially tied the knot on their Oklahoma ranch property, in a chapel custom-built for the occasion. Their lavish wedding was full of sentimental, personal touches, and The Voice host Carson Daly officiated.

November 2021: Blake Releases the Wedding Song He Wrote For Gwen

Dimitrios Kambouris, Getty Images

November 2021: Blake Releases the Wedding Song He Wrote For Gwen

For his wedding vows, Shelton performed a song called “We Can Reach the Stars” that he wrote specifically for his bride. A few months after the big day, he released it so that fans can use it for their weddings, too.

April 2022: Blake Shelton Dons a Pink Easter Bunny Suit

Emma McIntyre, Getty Images

April 2022: Blake Shelton Dons a Pink Easter Bunny Suit

Just because Shelton’s assuming some of the more serious responsibilities of parenthood doesn’t mean he can’t be silly. For Easter 2022, he wore an enormous pink Easter Bunny suit to entertain — and in some cases, scare — the kiddos.

July 3, 2022: First Wedding Anniversary in the Books

Emma McIntyre, Getty Images

July 3, 2022: First Wedding Anniversary in the Books

One whole year has gone by since they said their “I do”s! Shelton and Stefani both posted sweet messages of love for each other on social media.

September 2022: Gwen Makes Her In-Person Grand Ole Opry Debut

YouTube

September 2022: Gwen Makes Her In-Person Grand Ole Opry Debut

More than two years after appearing virtually on the hallowed stage during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stefani officially made her in-person Grand Ole Opry debut — with Shelton at her side, of course.They sang their hit duets, “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere.”

October 2022: Blake Announces He’s Planning to Leave ‘The Voice

Trae Patton/NBC

October 2022: Blake Announces He’s Planning to Leave ‘The Voice

Big news from Shelton came out this month: After 12 years and 23 seasons, the singer announced plans to retire from The Voice. In the weeks and months ahead, he would explain that he wanted to step away from the show in order to focus on family time with Stefani and her three kids.

May 2023: Blake Gets His Own Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

May 2023: Blake Gets His Own Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

This month, the Hollywood Walk of Fame revealed a star with Shelton’s name on it. Of course, Stefani was there to support her country superstar husband, and she even stepped up at the podium to share how deserving he was of the honor.

May 2023: Gwen Throws Blake a Surprise Party for His Last ‘The Voice’ Finale

Tyler Golden/NBC

May 2023: Gwen Throws Blake a Surprise Party for His Last ‘The Voice’ Finale

Bittersweet moments on Shelton’s last day on the set of The Voice concluded with a party. Stefani surprised her country superstar husband after his last finale episode.

June 2023: Gwen Sings About Blake in New Song, ‘True Babe’

Rick Kern, Getty Images

June 2023: Gwen Sings About Blake in New Song, ‘True Babe’

Stefani put out her first new single in two years, and surprise, surprise — it was inspired by her romance with Shelton. Called “True Babe,” the song is an upbeat message of love filled with details personal to the couple. “Your tattoo still looks cute to me,” she sang in the first verse, a reference to the barbed wire and deer tracks inked around Shelton’s forearm.

July 3, 2023: The Couple Mark Two Years of Marriage

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

July 3, 2023: The Couple Mark Two Years of Marriage

Two years goes by so fast when you’re having fun. Shelton and Stefani celebrated their second wedding anniversary in 2023.

Read More: Gwen Stefani Recalls Breaking Things Off With Blake Shelton | https://tasteofcountry.com/gwen-stefani-blake-shelton-relationship-almost-didnt-happen/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral