Blake Shelton was noticeably absent as his wife Gwen Stefani officially kicked off her No Doubt residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The 56-year-old songstress, whose marriage was plagued by split rumors last year, reunited with her iconic band for a string of shows that will conclude on June 13.
Though Shelton, 49, missed her first show, his absence was far from a snub, as he had his own concert at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, just a short drive from the Sphere. Stefani also took to her Instagram Stories before hitting the stage and showed off two flower bouquets being wheeled into her dressing room, with one containing a sweet note from her husband.
"Good Luck Pretty Girl! I Love You! Love - Blake," the note read. "I have the best husband," Stefani gushed in the clip.
Shelton was reportedly bummed that he missed the show, a source told TMZ. However, the "God Gave Me You" hitmaker plans on catching his wife perform at one of the other dates.
Stefani's three sons with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, 60 - Kingston, 19, Zuma, 17, and Apollo, 12 - were also not in attendance. The boys skipped the show because it was a school night and they have class in the morning. Upon tying the knot with Stefani in 2021, Shelton, who was previously married to Miranda Lambert, 42, became stepfather to her kids.
Stefani also gave fans a glimpse into her pre-show ritual, sharing a photo of herself playing on a retro pinball machine before hitting the stage. She reunited with bandmates Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, and Adrian Young on the Sin City stage, marking the group's first extended live engagement in years.
The rock icons' reunion followed their show-stealing performances at Coachella in 2024 — their first time sharing the stage since 2015 — and a follow-up gig at the FireAid benefit concert in Los Angeles. Her Sphere residency marks the venue's first female-fronted headliner, joining the ranks of past performers including U2, Dead & Company, the Eagles, Anyma, and the Backstreet Boys.
For Stefani, it’s also a homecoming of sorts — she previously held her "Just a Girl: Las Vegas" residency at the Zappos Theater from 2018 to 2020, which was cut short by the pandemic before wrapping up the following year. The announcement of the Sphere residency came as No Doubt celebrated the 30th anniversary of their iconic third album, "Tragic Kingdom," which dropped on October 10, 1995.
The record ruled the Billboard 200 for nine straight weeks and produced a string of unforgettable hits, including "Just a Girl," "Spiderwebs," "Don’t Speak," "Sunday Morning," and "Excuse Me Mr." The band first went on hiatus in 2004 while Stefani launched her solo career with the smash debut "Love. Angel. Music. Baby." They reunited in 2012 to release their sixth studio album, "Push and Shove."
In January, Stefani and Shelton continued to put split speculation to rest as they shared a steamy kiss while celebrating New Year's Eve. The duo were embroiled in split speculation which sparked up partially due to the pair not attending major award ceremonies last year. Shelton had also dropped a breakup track titled "Hangin' On" back in March - which he later expressed had "no reflection" on his relationship with Stefani.
Sources told TMZ in December that the two stars were "completely baffled" over the split speculation. The insiders also told the outlet that Stefani and Shelton did not know where the rumors began and that their relationship was still going strong. A separate source also told People that Stefani and Shelton are "solid" when it comes to their marriage amidst the divorce speculation.
"There is no truth to the split rumors. They've just been juggling demanding schedules. When they are together, it's just so obvious how solid they are," the source said. Both music artists have filtered through a busy schedule in 2025, with the performers dropping albums. In March of last year, Stefani released the deluxe version of her 2024 album "Bouquet" with Shelton dropping his 13th studio album "For Recreational Use Only" two months later.
A source previously told the Daily Mail that Stefani and Shelton are like "every other couple" who have been married for nearly five years. "Things are pretty good with them, certainly not as dire as the rumors," the insider said. "They are having to be a lot more intentional about spending time together and keeping in contact." The pair have experienced "a few bumps in the road" which was due to "their busy schedules."
