The Truth About Blake Shelton's First Ex-Wife
Blake Shelton has been charming fans with his soulful voice and witty banter since 2001. The chart-topping country music star is best known for songs like "Austin," "God's Country," and "God Gave Me You," in addition to his stint as a wise-cracking coach on NBC's hit show "The Voice"(via Wide Open Country). When it comes to romance, Shelton has had a few public relationships over the years, and the media has kept his fans in the loop by writing about his ups and downs throughout his not-so-private love life. Most people know Shelton for his high-profile romances with fellow country singer (also his ex-wife) Miranda Lambert and his current wife, pop sensation Gwen Stefani (via People). However, long before Lambert and Stefani and all the fame and fortune, Shelton's heart belonged to another woman. His first love was Kaynette Scheck (née Williams), according to Life & Style. So who is Shelton's first wife? Here's the truth about the singer's first leading lady Kaynette Scheck.
Kaynette Scheck and Blake Shelton were high school sweethearts
While living in his hometown of Ada, Oklahoma, at the age of 15, Blake Shelton met 18-year-old Kaynette Scheck (née Williams). Even though the pair had attended the same high school, they didn't meet until Scheck had already graduated. The two were just friends at first and didn't date until six years later when Shelton turned 21. However, it seems that Scheck was smitten with the younger Shelton from the beginning. In a 2004 interview with Country Weekly (via Shefani Archive), Scheck shared that Shelton put a smile on her face and made her happy long before they even got together. Scheck also noted, "You can't help but have a good time and laugh around him," and said that she fell in love with Shelton the first time they went out on an actual date. She was right by the crooner's side from the very start of his country music career, and not long after the pair started dating, she moved with him to Nashville. Before he made it big, Scheck was not only a supportive girlfriend but was also his road manager (via Country Thang Daily).
Blake Shelton's proposal was unconventional
Most people pop the question to the love of their life by getting down on one knee, but Blake Shelton had other ideas. Shelton had been out hunting with some friends on the day he decided to propose. He returned to take a break, and that's when he asked for Scheck's hand in marriage. After she said yes, the newly engaged couple had a great time hunting and partying away the rest of the day with friends. On November 17, 2003, Shelton and Scheck exchanged vows in a ceremony in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, while he was on hiatus from touring with the award-winning country singer Toby Keith (via Country Fancast).
Shelton and Scheck shared their intimate wedding details with Country Weekly (via Shefani Archive). Shelton told the outlet that the people present for their big day were just him, his bride, the man who married them, and the photographer. He stated Scheck looked elegant in her dress and serenaded his bride with Conway Twitty's "Julia." Scheck recalled their wedding day and said that she was just happy to get some alone time with the country singer.
Kaynette Scheck accused Blake Shelton of marital misconduct
Unfortunately, Blake Shelton and Kaynette Scheck's marriage didn't last nearly as long as their friendship. Only three years after they wed, the couple divorced. In divorce proceedings, Scheck accused the singer of being guilty of "inappropriate marital conduct" (via Country Fancast). Shelton reportedly cheated on Scheck with fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, whom he would go on to marry in 2011. Years later, Blake admitted to having feelings for Lambert while still married to Scheck. According to Entertainment Weekly, while making a cameo appearance on Lambert's VH1's "Behind The Music," he confessed that he felt a connection when they performed together in 2005. Shelton recalled singing "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma" with Lambert and stated that what he experienced that night had never happened to him. Shelton disclosed, "I was a married guy, you know? Looking back on that, I was falling in love with her right there on stage."
Shelton talked about the divorce in a 2014 episode of "60 Minutes" and shared that calling it quits with Scheck was by far one of the hardest things he had weathered.
She moved twice after her divorce from Blake Shelton
After Kaynette Scheck and Blake Shelton officially ended their brief marriage in 2006 (via Life & Style), Scheck reportedly decided that the best thing for her was to leave Nashville and move back to her home state of Oklahoma for a fresh start. However, a few years after she settled down in her home state, she decided to move once more in a purported bid to get away from her ex-husband and his new country star wife, Miranda Lambert (via Country Thang Daily). During Shelton's marriage to the country singer, the two took up residence in Tishomingo, Oklahoma (via People), which was apparently a bit too close to home for Scheck. She went on to tell the National Enquirer in 2011 that she didn't feel like the state was big enough for all three of them, and that's why she ultimately ended up moving to Kansas.
Kaynette Scheck married a rodeo champion
When Kaynette Scheck moved to Kansas, she met and married Cody Scheck — the world record holder for steer roping (via the Great Bend Tribune). According to Cody's mother, Patricia Scheck, the pair was introduced by one of their mutual friends in 2011. During a 2013 interview with the National Enquirer, Kaynette's mother-in-law said there was undeniable chemistry between the couple from the beginning.
In 2021, Scheck took to her Facebook page and, along with a photo of her and Cody, shared some interesting information about their relationship with her followers in a #ValentinesDayChallenge. She first revealed that her and Cody's first date took place at Mom's Bar & Grill in Seward, Kansas. She also added that the couple's first kiss took place in the entryway of her home. When replying to the question of "Who wears the pants in the relationship?" she posted that it was 50-50 and that they "both give when we really know it's the other person's area of expertise."
She is an award-winning elementary school teacher
In 2018, Kaynette Scheck was selected as the 2018-2019 Teacher of the Year by her colleagues at South Barber Elementary School in Kiowa, Kansas (via Facebook). Scheck, a 4th-grade teacher at the school, spoke about the esteemed recognition in a local interview with the Alva Review-Courier. Scheck shared that she enjoys helping her students figure out things when they believe they can't.
Scheck earned a degree in teaching at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, and began teaching in 1997. In 2018, she obtained a master's degree from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, bringing her one step closer to becoming a principal. Dr. Mylo Miller, South Barber School District's superintendent, told the Courier that she had nothing but amazing things to say about Scheck. Miller stated that she thought Scheck was a fantastic educator who goes the extra mile when it comes to being involved with the education system. Miller also stated that, along with the rest of the school district, she was "proud that Ms. Scheck can represent the district on behalf of all our hard-working teachers."