Gwen Stefani: There were hard times before Apollo

by

Sara McGinnis

posted in Celebrities

For the first time since announcing her divorce from longtime husband Gavin Rossdale, Gwen Stefani has opened up about what led to their split. It turns out, much of the troubles the mother of three has been going through in recent years are ones many moms can surely relate to.

Speaking to InStyle about how struggling to balance her work and family life took a toll, Gwen explained, "I didn't tour at all. But I did record the No Doubt album, which was super hard. I was torn the whole time...I'm not gonna say there weren't some incredible moments making that album. But it was a lot of knocking my head against the wall. A lot of struggle."

The woman who gave birth to her and Gavin's third child just 20 months ago, also shared, "Every day I would take the kids to school, drive to Santa Monica, work on the album, and then I'd think, 'Oh my god, if I don't leave by 2:30, I'm not gonna get home in time for dinner.' And Gavin being on tour…"

It wasn't just the work-life balance, however. The mother of Kingston, 9, Zuma, 7, and Apollo, 20 months, initially felt as though she were having an identity crisis when she transitioned from music star to mom.

"In the beginning, I didn't want to think of myself as a mother," the 46-year-old added. "I was like, 'Wait a minute! Ain't no hollaback girl is who I am!' I had to learn to accept it."

Thankfully, over time things mellowed out. Gwen went on to say, "Being a mother and having a career – those are just different roles you play. You're still the same person you were before, but now you're more because you're a mother, too, with a lot to do."

Three months after the divorce news shocked fans, the singer says she's "in a really positive place now" -- and some of the credit for the turnaround goes to her new beau, Blake Shelton.

"He helped me with a lot of stuff," she explained. "I was in a closed-off period before that – I couldn't write, and I didn't feel confident. There were hard times before the baby, personally, that were just not good. And then having Apollo, and being on the show, and being refreshed: It was just like, 'Whoa!'"

It's interesting to me to hear a bit about the reasons behind Gwen and Gavin's split, because at the time the news broke I saw quite a few comments from outsiders wondering if little Apollo had anything to do with the strain on their marriage. Some seemed to think having baby three might have been an attempt to save their relationship, while others suspected his arrival added more stress than they could take on.

After reading what Gwen shared with InStyle, I'm inclined to believe there may be some truth to the latter idea. Babies, while truly amazing, are not easy. They can test even the strongest of relationships, and push those who are already unsteady into dangerous territory.

All the same, I'm glad to hear Gwen say she's feeling well now. I wish her, and her three darlings, nothing but the best going forward.

Did having a baby help your relationship or put strain on it? In what way?

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Photos: REX USA

 

 

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