Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert were the quintessential country couple. The former
flames looked so in love during their red carpet appearances and couldn't help but gush
about their relationship in interviews. Shelton and Lambert proved they were a good match
by going on their first tour together in 2008.
Shelton told Redbook magazine in 2011,
"I learned a lot watching her on stage every night. I've been doing this much longer, and
it used to be, 'You just listen to me.' But damn, this is a girl who steps out on stage
and has complete control of the audience. It's pure artistry."
Surprisingly, there didn't seem to be much competition or jealousy between the two powerhouses.
Instead, the couple collaborated and co-wrote songs together, including "Bear Skin Rug"
and "Over You."
"I'm definitely way more into songwriting than he is, but when he does, it's usually
really special."
The two seemed like a match made in country music heaven, but in 2015, the artists shocked
their fans when they announced they were going their separate ways after four years of marriage.
Their representatives shared a statement with Us Weekly on their behalf, which read in part,
"This is not the future we envisioned, and it is with heavy hearts that we move forward
separately. We are real people, with real lives, with real families, friends and colleagues."
So what went wrong? We take a look at some of the red flags we all might have missed.
Lambert and Shelton quickly became a power couple in the country music world, but their
first major interaction had a hint of scandal to it.
In 2005, the two shared the stage during CMT's 100 Greatest Duets special, where they sang
the 1981 hit, "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma." Throughout the performance, the
singers' chemistry was undeniable. However, there was just a tiny problem: Lambert and
Shelton were both in relationships at the time. Prior to the performance the two reportedly
only knew each other as acquaintances.
Shelton filed for divorce from his first wife, Kaynette Williams, in 2006, just one year
after performing the duet with Lambert, but he maintained that Lambert had nothing to
do with his relationship ending.
Meanwhile, Lambert was engaged to Jeff Allen McManus, but they reportedly split shortly
after she connected with Shelton.
In 2007, the artists made their first public appearance at the CMT Music Awards.
Shelton later recalled some details about their musical meet-cute on an episode of VH1's
Behind the Music in 2011. He recalled,
"I've never had that kind of experience with anybody. I was a married guy, you know? Standing
up there and singing with somebody and going, 'Man, this shouldn't be happening.' Looking
back on that, I was falling in love with her, right there on stage."
For her part, Lambert gushed,
"It was just like this draw to each other. It was just sort of this inevitable chemistry."
But in 2013, Blake Shelton was accused of flirting with singer Cady Groves while he
was still married to Miranda Lambert. One report about the alleged indiscretion emerged
in Us Weekly, but the "God's Country" crooner couldn't help but laugh about the rumors,
tweeting at his wife,
"Hey @mirandalambert...I just read in a tabloid that our marriage is falling apart."
To which Lambert replied,
"Oh no! Can't wait to read if we make it or not."
Shelton even made it clear in an interview with People that their marriage was solid,
despite reports to the contrary. He told the outlet in 2013,
"[I tell Miranda], 'I have nothing to hide from you.' That's always been our policy:
'Here's my phone. Go through it.' That's really the kind of trust we have. There are no secrets.
[I'll say,] 'Go dig through my drawers or my computer if you feel like you need to.'
And that's been a really good thing, because I don't want her to ever have any doubts."
Even though Shelton claimed he was open and honest with Lambert, the rumor mill kept churning,
and it didn't seem like the couple could weather the storm.
A source told E! News in 2015,
"Trust was an issue for both of them. It went along with having to spend a lot of time apart.
Rumors of his infidelity put stress on them. Despite denials, even just rumors of cheating
are still hard to hear."
"I'm Blake Shelton, and my word of advice to you is, 'Do as I say, not as I do.'"
One thing complicating their marriage was the amount of success they each received after
becoming a couple. They were already stars in their own right, but after 2007, their
careers skyrocketed.
In 2011, Shelton joined The Voice on NBC, becoming a bona fide crossover celebrity thanks
to his charisma, and his hilarious, viral banter with Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine.
"I may not be your first choice of someone to work with."
"Of course."
After joining the show, Shelton went from being a respected country musician to a household
name. He opened a chain of restaurants in the south called Ole Red, was inducted into
the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2014, hosted the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 2016,
and got his own wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Nashville in 2017.
As Shelton spent more and more time filming The Voice in California, the pair weren't
able to be together as often. After their relationship fractured, a source told E! News,
"Their busy schedules were a big issue for them. They both worked a lot and had to spend
a lot of time apart. The less time they spent together, the more they grew apart."
There also may have been a bit of a personality mismatch between the country music superstars.
Shelton is known for his silly and laid back personality, while Lambert is known to take
things more seriously.
The "Bluebird" songstress told 60 Minutes in 2014,
"[Blake] has taught me how to have a sense of humor and how to have fun."
While it can be true that opposites attract, in this case, it seemed to cause friction
between the two country stars.
Lambert told Marie Claire magazine in 2014,
"I'm not sunshine and roses. Blake's the happiest person on the planet. He pulls me out of my
darkness."
In fact, Lambert noted that Shelton had called her "complicated," an assessment she didn't
necessarily take well. Shelton clarified his remarks to the outlet, saying,
"She was like, 'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' But it is the best way I know how
to describe her...That's what I admire about her. Her complications."
Even though Shelton and Lambert are no longer together, the two have moved on and found
love with other people. Shelton bounced back by dating No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani, while
Lambert is now married to former New York City police officer Brendan McLoughlin.
As much as we miss Lambert and Shelton walking red carpets together and serenading their
fans at concerts, it just doesn't seem like these two were meant to be.
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