4 Moments That Prove Blake Shelton Has A Sweet Stepfather Bond With Gwen Stefani's Kids

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani began dating in November 2015, the same year they each went through divorces from their ex-spouses, Miranda Lambert and Gavin Rossdale. The couple dated for about five years before they got married on July 3, 2021. Shelton didn't have any children with Lambert, but he instantly became a stepfather to Stefani's sons with Rossdale: Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo. 

Shelton and the boys seemed to get close very quickly. Stefani posted a tribute to the "Honey Bee" singer on Instagram for Father's Day in 2020,  thanking him for helping her raise her kids. Shelton talked about becoming a role model and father to the boys while reflecting on that tribute post in a 2020 interview with "Today."  It's one thing for me to be with the kids all the time and be their buddy, but you do have to consider after a while that they start to listen to things that you say," he admitted. "There's a lot of responsibility that comes with that."

But, Shelton seems to have taken on the step-father role quite naturally, from coordinating with the younger men in bowties at the Oklahoma wedding to attending events with them to sharing moments backstage. Here are some of the best moments that highlight the "God Gave Me You" singer's close bond with the Rossdale boys. 

In an interview on "The Jennifer Hudson Show," Gwen Stefani told Hudson that although her middle son, Zuma Rossdale, didn't have a driver's license yet, his stepdad, Blake Shelton, gifted him a very special truck. It was an old, rusted truck that had belonged to Blake's late father, Dick Shelton, that Zuma had wanted to own for years. Stefani described the truck as a clunker that needed to have a dashboard added in before anyone drove it. 

Blake renovated it with a new dashboard and passed the truck on to Zuma. Stefani then revealed the sweet reciprocal gesture Zuma made for Blake. "He called the truck Dorothy, which was Blake's mom's name." The "Hollaback Girl" singer told the story casually, but when you really think about both gestures, it's enough to make you teary-eyed. 

Blake Shelton was one of the original coaches on NBC's "The Voice" from its first season in 2011 to his final season in 2023. His tenure on the competition show lasted 23 seasons. The gig also outlasted his first marriage to his ex-wife Miranda Lambert, whom he wed the same year the show started. 

In January 2023, the "I'll Name the Dogs" singer told People that his stepsons were one of the main reasons he decided to leave the show. "Even though I'm a stepparent, I take that job very seriously. The kids see me as a very important person in their life," he explained. "[When they ask,] 'Why isn't Blake here?' I take that stuff to heart. I've made plenty of money, but you can't buy time back. I don't want any regrets." His logic totally made sense, but leaving a job that big is still a huge personal sacrifice, whether someone is a biological parent or not.

Blake Shelton's bar and live music venue, Ol Red, has been a career launching pad for "The Voice" alums and other superstar hopefuls since he opened the flagship location in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, in 2017. Shelton's stepsons have lived with him and Gwen Stefani in the country superstar's hometown, and also began their careers on Ol Red's Oklahoma stage. 

Stefani's eldest son, Kingston Rossdale, made his surprise debut at Ol Red in summer 2023, singing an alternative rock song that was closer to his dad Gavin Rossdale's musical style. Gavin is the frontman of the English rock band, Bush. Stefani and Gavin's middle son, Zuma Rossdale, followed in his older brother's footsteps on the same stage in July 2024. Zuma was clearly inspired by his stepdad's country music. The teenager performed covers of the Zach Bryan songs "Oklahoma Smokeshow" and "Revival." Sefani and Shelton were present for both performances, and Shelton embraced his stepsons on stage at their respective performances. Stefani has said she regrets not prioritizing family over everything in her first marriage, but Shelton seems to have helped her change that. 

Music has obviously played a big part in Kingston and Zuma's lives thanks to their parents. But their stepdad's influence is also obvious in their choice of venue alone. Shelton's impact on Zuma in particular was obvious from his setlist. 

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale's youngest son, Apollo Rossdale, hasn't entered show business, but it might only be a matter of time. Shelton told Taste of Country Nights in November 2024 that helping to raise his stepsons for so long has caused him to develop some traditional "dad habits" like throwing the ball around. "I do ... every single day when the kids get home from school, Apollo, our youngest, we throw the football for about 30 minutes," Shelton said. 

But all of the adults raising Apollo are performers, so of course, he has a natural inclination for it.. Shelton said the boy doesn't catch the football on the ground. Instead, he likes to jump on the trampoline while his stepdad throws him the ball so he can mimic impressive catches his favorite NFL players have made, according to Shelton. Sports seem to play an important role in the young boy's life, and his dad and his stepdad both cheer him on, as they did on the sidelines of a flag football game in 2024.