When Blake Shelton married Gwen Stefani in the summer of 2021, he married into a whole family: Gwen has three sons whom she shares with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale.
And although the kids — 16-year-old Kingston, 14-year-old Zuma and eight-year-old Apollo — already have a dad, Blake is a big figure in their lives, and the country star knows just how important it is to foster those relationships.
“If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I’m missing out on some more important things in life. For now, that’s our kids,” he tells People in a new cover story. “This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again.”
During this stage of his life, Blake continues, family time comes before anything else.
“Even though I’m a stepparent, I take that job very seriously,” the singer emphasizes. “…[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.”
To that end, he says, it’s time to trade in some of his work commitments “and let more family and personal life in.”
Blake announced this fall that he’s leaving The Voice, a show where he’s been a coach since the very first season. The show is currently in his 22nd season, and the next season — season 23, airing in the spring of 2023 — will be his last.
Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
