Gwen Stefani Celebrates Blake Shelton as Husband and Stepdad in Heartwarming Father’s Day Birthday Tribute
Blake Shelton had twice the reason to celebrate on June 18, 2023. His 47th birthday happened to fall on Father’s Day, and Gwen Stefani marked the occasion with a series of deeply personal tributes — including one particularly touching gesture from her youngest son, Apollo.
The then-9-year-old presented Shelton with a trophy recognizing him as the “Best Step Dad,” a small gift that captured the important role the country star had come to play in Stefani’s family.
For Shelton, who has no biological children of his own, becoming a stepfather to Stefani’s three sons — Kingston, Zuma and Apollo — has become one of the most meaningful parts of the life they have built together.
Apollo gives Blake a special Father’s Day honor
Stefani began the celebrations by sharing a photo of two important men in her life: Shelton and her father, Dennis. She wished them both a happy Father’s Day before turning the spotlight more fully toward her husband.
But perhaps the sweetest image came when she showed Apollo presenting Shelton with his “Best Step Dad” trophy.
Stefani later shared another affectionate photograph of herself kissing Shelton on the cheek, describing him as her “everything cowboy.”
The birthday celebrations continued on her Instagram feed, where she assembled a montage of private and public memories from their relationship. The video included playful moments, scenes of the couple together and glimpses of their life both on and away from the stage.
She accompanied the montage with a preview of her then-upcoming solo single “True Babe,” which was scheduled for release on June 23.
Her message to Shelton was simple and affectionate, celebrating both his birthday and Father’s Day while telling him how deeply she loved him.
Fans quickly responded to the family moments, with many commenting on the happiness Stefani and Shelton appeared to have found together.
Blake’s relationship with Gwen’s three sons
Stefani shares Kingston, Zuma and Apollo with her former husband, Gavin Rossdale. Since becoming part of their lives, Shelton has spoken openly about how seriously he takes being their stepfather.
His own experience with a stepfather helped shape the way he approached the role.
Shelton has explained that he looked up to his stepfather as a father figure and therefore had an example of the kind of relationship he wanted to build with Stefani’s children. He has also said that, as the years passed, imagining his life without the boys became increasingly difficult.
The “Best Step Dad” trophy from Apollo therefore represented more than a lighthearted Father’s Day present. It reflected a bond that had developed over years of everyday family life.
A new chapter after 23 seasons on The Voice
The celebration arrived less than a month after Shelton ended another enormous chapter of his life.
On May 23, 2023, he completed his run as a coach on NBC’s The Voice after 23 seasons — the show where he and Stefani had originally met as fellow coaches in 2014.
For Stefani, Shelton’s farewell carried an especially personal meaning because The Voice had unexpectedly changed both of their lives.
During a video tribute for his final episode, she reflected on how an Orange County girl and an Oklahoma country singer had crossed paths on the show while both were going through difficult periods in their personal lives.
Their friendship eventually developed into romance, with the couple confirming their relationship in November 2015.
Years later, Stefani described finding her soulmate through the show and became emotional while reflecting on everything that had followed.
Gwen and her sons stand beside Blake for another major milestone
Only days before Shelton’s Voice farewell, Stefani and her sons had joined him for another important moment.
On May 12, Shelton received the 2,755th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Recording category. Stefani was among the guest speakers, while the ceremony also featured Carson Daly and Adam Levine.
Shelton used the occasion to make clear where his greatest happiness lay.
While acknowledging the significance of receiving a Hollywood star, he said that marrying Gwen had changed how he viewed accomplishments, describing the Walk of Fame honor as “icing on the cake.”
Stefani was equally emotional, celebrating Shelton not simply as a successful entertainer but as the man who had become central to her family.
Kingston, Zuma and Apollo were there alongside their mother as Shelton celebrated the milestone.
From The Voice colleagues to family
Stefani and Shelton’s story began professionally when they worked together on The Voice in 2014. After becoming a couple in 2015, they announced their engagement in October 2020.
They married on July 3, 2021, during an intimate ceremony on Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch.
By Father’s Day 2023, their relationship had evolved far beyond the circumstances that first brought them together.
Shelton was no longer simply Stefani’s fellow musician, duet partner or husband. He had become part of the everyday lives of her three sons as well.
That was what made Apollo’s little trophy particularly meaningful.
For a man with shelves of music awards and decades of career achievements, “Best Step Dad” was a very different kind of honor — one given not by an industry or an awards committee, but by a child who had come to see him as an important part of his family.