Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton were supposed to ring in 2024 together. But then plans changed. While he was performing during New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash on CBS, she took the mic on December 31 in Las Vegas.
“It’s funny because I was going to be at his show, and then Vegas called,” the “Hollaback Girl” singer shared. “I was like, ‘Eh, I’m gonna do it.’ If you’re gonna be working, then I’m gonna be working.”
The situation was no laughing matter to Blake, though. An insider exclusively tells Life & Style that the “Lonely Tonight” crooner “was really upset” and “disappointed” that Gwen, 54, chose not to be by his side as the clock struck midnight — and it’s just the latest red flag in their relationship.
“Gwen and Blake’s marriage is definitely in trouble,” warns the insider. “Lately, they’ve been at odds about everything from career decisions and the parenting of her three boys to where they spend most of their time. The tension continues to grow, and Blake and Gwen are drifting apart as a result.”
Sobering Reality
Eyebrows were certainly raised when 47-year-old Blake — who has built a brand around his self-described “drunken redneck” persona — announced in December that he wants “to either cut back or stop drinking altogether.”
“Some say Gwen doesn’t really like him boozing,” shares the insider, “and this was a gesture to appease his wife.”
But is it too little, too late? The pair famously fell for each other on the set of The Voice while going through their respective divorces, from Gavin Rossdale, 58, and Miranda Lambert, 40, in 2015. (Blake had previously split from first spouse Kaynette Williams, 50, in 2006.)
Six years after the NBC costars connected, they tied the knot in Oklahoma as the sons she shares with ex Gavin, Kingston, 17, Zuma, 15, and Apollo, 9, looked on. “The honeymoon period didn’t last all that long,” notes the insider, adding that Gwen has most recently been “hurt” by Blake’s lack of support for her work projects on Instagram. “They’ve been fighting.”
So perhaps it’s no surprise Gwen decided to escape to Sin City on New Year’s Eve. While she and Blake became known for their loved-up duets over the years, they’ve been increasingly doing their own things these days.
“Gwen and Blake are leading separate lives,” confirms the insider. “It’s very sad, but the writing seems to be on the wall for their marriage.”