I’ve been wondering about this, but the Brangelina custodial drama took all of the oxygen out of the custodial-gossip room. For several years now, Gwen Stefani has been with Blake Shelton, and she’s brought her sons around Blake this entire time. They constantly travel out of state to Blake’s home in Oklahoma, and by all accounts, Blake absolutely adores Gwen’s sons. I’ve always thought the boys’ exposure to Blake was a great thing – he’s clearly hands-on with them like a “cool step-dad,” and he seems to have changed up his Oklahoma estate so it’s just a playground for them to ride ATVs and go fishin’ and all of that. But… those boys have a father. Gavin Rossdale has joint custody of his sons, and considering Gwen’s work schedule, Gavin generally has more time with them than Gwen. So is it surprising that Gwen and Gavin are still dealing with custody drama?
Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale attended mediation on Wednesday, September 5, to discuss “ongoing parenting issues they have over their three children,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively.
“Gwen and Gavin have been in mediation all day since 10:30 a.m. at their respective lawyer’s office building in Los Angeles. Their lawyers occupy the same building so logistically it was easy to facilitate,” the source explains, noting that Anne Kiley is representing the No Doubt singer and Laura Wasser is continuing to represent Rossdale. The pair, who split in 2015 after nearly 13 years of marriage, are parents of sons Kingston, 12, Zuma, 10, and Apollo, 4. Stefani and Rossdale were both granted joint legal custody when their divorce was finalized in 2016.
“The hope is at the end of this, both Gwen and Gavin will agree to take co-parenting classes as that will only benefit the children,” the source adds. Rossdale, who is currently on tour, spent time in England with his father earlier this year before he died, according to a second source. The kids, however, did join Rossdale at one point on the road.
The “Make Me Like You” singer is currently dating Blake Shelton. The first source confirms, however, that the country crooner was not in attendance on Wednesday.
Yeah… I’m not going to raise the alarm…yet. I think Gwen and Gavin respect each other as parents and they both put their sons’ interests ahead of their own. I’m sure Gavin side-eyes the fact that Blake is so involved with his kids, but Gavin might also know that Gwen has tons of dirt on him which she could weaponize and use against him if the custody issue becomes a bit trickier. Still, it’s interesting that this is the first time we’ve heard of any trickiness with Gwen and Gavin in years, right?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Why is that 4 year old using a dang binkie!
My niece used a binky until She was 6. This year she’ll graduate from an Ivy League university. Chill.
That doesn’t mean it’s to be done.
I have a colleague who won’t toilet train her nearly 5 year old. She doesn’t want it to be “traumatic” for him. He will grow up just fine, healthy, probably turn out to be a productive member of society. That doesn’t make it okay for him to still be in diapers at school age.
To Be fair, I don’t think she meant it would cause any psychological or intellectual damage. It can cause their teeth to be wonky is all. But they usually straighten out once they stop using a pacifier, my son’s teeth did. It just took a few months.
School age diapers? You really find that comparable? Because I don’t.
As for teeth issues, actually pretty rare with the modern pacifier shapes.
@dietcokehead Utterly false equivalency. There is a galaxy of difference between a 5 year old who still uses a dummy and a 5 year old who isn’t toilet trained.
No, there really isn’t. After a year, possibly two, a pacifier has outgrown its purpose. At that point, it is making life easier for parents who don’t have time or inclination to wean their child. Some providers think it’s acceptable to use the pacifier at naps or night until the child is three or four but I’ve never heard anyone recommend unrestricted pacifier use at this child’s age. 🤷♂️
Unless there’s a medical reason that the kid couldn’t be potty trained by 5, that’s terrible. A toddler with a pacifier is no where near comparable to a kid in elementary school still wearing diapers
Shrug. Works for them.
Exactly. Not harming anyone, and obviously helping the child.
I regret taking away my son’s pacifier because he then turned to his thumb, which I could not take away, and thumb-sucking REALLY messed up his teeth, and even the growth of his jaw. We are thousands of dollars deep in orthodontics now.
I’m sorry you’re having such an expensive time with it but I, based on my own personal experience, think some of the paci/thump/teeth issues are dependent on the teeth/jaw to begin with.
I sucked my thumb until I was six no dental issues. My son is 4 and has sucked his middle two fingers since an ultra sound picture and no dental issues.
Anyway, I think the paci police should just stop. It’s so not anyone else’s business.
I wouldn’t beat yourself up about it. My three kids never had a pacifier or sucked their thumbs and all 3 ended up with braces.
Also, the policing moms need to stop.
As soon as I saw that pic I knew it would be an issue. Let’s leave the kid to his vice. It is harmless and most likely comforts him in stressful moments. He is young to move between two homes and probably has nannies and bodyguards coming and going. That is a lot for a little kid. My oldest weened from the breast at 4 and then took milk from a bottle at bedtime for another year. My youngest sucked her thumb until 6. They stopped when they were ready. Both are now fully functioning young adults who never needed orthodontia, never had tooth decay, and don’t smoke or overeat due to an oral fixation. I’m all for letting kids mature at their own rate, and letting obviously loving parents to know what is best for their own children.
Considering their parents divorce, it is common also for a child to “regress” back into younger behaviors. Furthermore paparazz were all around them and Gwen was surely under stress at the moment too.
He may be Autistic and need it.
Anxiety, most likely. My friend’s daughter resorts to eating things compulsively when she’s upset about things, so she uses a binky to soothe despite being age four. She doesn’t use it all the time, though.
I’m a therapist who specializes in working with children under 5. Before you judge the binky use understand that you know NOTHING about the developmental or sensory issue this child may have, the anxiety he may suffer from (Maybe it is just used to help the child feel settled when paparazzi are taking pictures?) or the self- soothing issues he may be working on. There could be a million reasons why the family decided to prolong the pacifier. While there are general “rules and recommendations” for many things in Child Development following one orthodoxy in parenting is never a good idea and I have seen it cause far more harm, along with the harm that the constant judgment of “arm-chair” parents cause. Please just stop.
Thank you for this answer. So well said.
It is NONE of your concern, Lana. He is 4 years old, not 14!
I found my old Bush X cd at the back of a closet in my parent’s house this summer. My siblings and I gave it a listen in the car (only working CD player left) and boy oh boy did we cackle.
Thinking of those kids…could their dad and de facto step dad be any more different? Country/rural/redneck guys (sorry if I offend people, I come from that culture) are sooooo different than urban, California, Liberal kid life. My kids are more of the “California liberal” type and trust me, they freak out at the idea of hunting and guns, etc. I can’t imagine the culture shifts in their lives.
Hopefully having such two completely different important male figures in their life will give them a more balanced look at the world.
I love your positive outlook, Laura. We need more people like you in the world!
I have an ex like Gavin and a second husband like Blake. Trust me, my liberal musician artsy city boy ex is a cheating lying selfish narcissist who cheated on me with dozens of women. Hubby #2, the country boy redneck type, is a faithful amazing honest loyal guy with a heart of gold. I can see why Gwen fell head over heels.
Gavin should be happy that the children and Blake get along. Too many times that doesn’t happen. Mediation is the first thing they try to work things out. My daughter went through it with the father of her first child (never married). The courts don’t want to make that decision and they hope the parents can work it out. I can’t believe after 13 years they are still working on this. Someone must have wanted a change in the original agreement (if there was one). I do know when my grandson went to live with his father at 15 that child support and a few other things had to be reworked but nothing really that big.
Props to them!
I get it, as their oldest is almost a teen it’s probably time to re-examine their current custody structure and make some changes to take his changing needs into account.
Yeah I feel like (and am hoping, for the children’s sake) that this is just a restructure as the needs of their kids change and they get older. It would make sense to have their legal representation there too, to help everything go smoothly.
And as a teen he may well be asking to spend more time with his Dad. It’s complicated stuff even if the parents get along perfectly and no one else is involved in the kids’ lives.
I hope that is the case and everything goes smoothly. I never take issue with any dad wanting to spend more time with his kid. That said, a friend of mine had a very hard time when her only child became a teen and wanted to live with his dad. She ultimately let him go (it broke her heart) and a year later he realized his mom was better at parenting him and he came back.
Laura Wasser again – she seems to be always in the mixture when famous divorces & custody battles go crazy. And other than Angelina, Laura always represents the white men….
Upon reading this, my first reaction was to the Wasser bit too, does she feel more comfortable representing the men? As for Gavin….he is not aging well. Such shame, he used to be so hot
That’s two. Pretty low threshold for “always”. Especially since this is a low key dispute where they’re mediating.
And Wasser has also represented women like Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian.
I’d say it’s probably more likely that white dudes recognize her name and try to get her to be their lawyer. I really don’t think there’s much to read into here. She’s also considered the “disso queen” because she’s made such a name for herself in high profile celebrity divorces.
Building on Kerfuffle’s point – she’s also represented Hillary Duff, Kelis, Patricia Arquette, Kate Walsh, Maria Shriver. Vanessa Bryant and Megan Fox had hired her as well. The only names I found on wiki for men (and not all white) were Ryan Reynolds, Stevie Wonder , Johnny Knoxsville, Jimmy Iovine, and Olivier Martinez.
I thought co-parenting classes were required so not understanding the sources comment sure they will both agree to it if it’s not already happened.
It’s not federally regulated, so it’s a state or locality based requirement. It can also be court-ordered by the judge if they feel it’s necessary, particularly if it is contested custody.
I don’t have a comment on the binky, the poor kid might have anxiety and they’re working it out but @dietcoke is that kid actually in school? I can’t think of a single school that would allow a non potty trained child into their kindergarten? Or maybe it’s a private school situation? I’m genuinely curious
They do in parts of Britain. I read one article in the DM where a teacher was very exasperated with the parents. She would spend the week potty training children, only to have the “lazy” parents throw them back in diapers for the weekend. Come Monday, she said she had to start all over. It astounds me that teachers change diapers. Not to mention the potential for abuse.
Yikes, that poor teacher! I’ve taught early elementary school before and can’t imagine changing diapers on top of everything else we had to do. And, like you said, the liability issues are a big factor. I personally wouldn’t do it
A lot of public schools in the US won’t accept children that aren’t potty trained, but you can generally get medical exemptions or find alternative programs for kids who have functional issues. Obviously, if there was no considerations made across the board, children with neurological disorders, delayed development, or spinal/nerve damage would have serious problems accessing schooling outside home learning. For a typical kid, however, they’re pretty strict about it by kindergarten age.
The kid ^^ is not in a traditional school setting so it’s not a consideration. His teacher does try to help train him with pull-ups and frequent trips to the toilet and has told mom that he is ready to be fully toilet trained (no medical or developmental issues that would prevent him, expressing interest in going to the bathroom) but mom won’t have it. She said he needs to come to it in his own time, but if she won’t work with him during home hours, I don’t know how that will ever happen.
Since when do we not potty train our own kids? He might as well be raised by wolves if figuring it out for himself is the standard. That mom really has some nerve expecting others to go along with her silliness. Poor kid.
This mom needs to think about the trauma this kid will have from being teased mercilessly for not being potty trained yet. Without a medical issue, that is inexcusable.
I’ve always thought the Blake-Gwen relationship was a fake PR one. Maybe I was wrong after all. It sure has gone on for a long time. At least in Hollywood terms.
If they’ve had to go to court at this time and parenting classes are an issue well after their divorce, there have obviously been issues for a while. I applaud them for keeping this as private as possible. No running to the press slamming the other parent. That’s the way parents protect their children even if they themselves have issues between them that need addressing.
Gwen might look busy but her kids are priority and that’s why she only tour on summer 2016 so they can join her on the road. Everything else are LA based. That’s why she did Vegas, she fly back on same day for Wednesday show and bring her kids on weekend shows. Gavin oth, he didn’t see his kids for almost 2 months last Christmas and NYE, absent on his oldest son graduation and birthday and only met his sons for few days during his tour this summer where he hasn’t seem them for months before that. Blake spend more time with them than Gavin, he never missed their birthdays since they started dating. Gwen might actually have a stronger case. Do you see the bachelor pad Gavin bought after divorce? Not child friendly and he even talk about buying row machine to entertain his kids. Not surprising they prefer spending time at the lake in the boat, or hiking, fishing or riding ATVs at Blake’s ranch.
Interesting. I wonder if Gwen wants their official parenting plan changed to reflect the reality that Gavin doesn’t actually the kids much at all.
^^^ This. Gavin seems to parent at his convenience.
A bit unrelated but I saw Gavin and Bush this summer and he is still HOT. I don’t get Blake’s appeal at all, but I don’t date rednecks.
Have you seen his Instagram posts? Full of his young pictures and self glorification. He criticise Gwen’s appearance in public a lot of times when they were still together, can you imagine what he said in private? Total opposite of Blake, he doesn’t take himself seriously, self deprecating humour, and always speaks highly of her, not only physically but even more of her character. I’d take the redneck anytime.
I’ve always found him hot, but I went ahead and googled current images of him and I agree, still way hot. I also just realized that I’m two weeks older than he is but would probably look like his mother standing next to him. Have you seen pics of his girlfriend? Think early ’00’s Gwen without the ultra-blonde hair and make-up.
That said, glad they’re working on their team parenting, very mature on everyone’s part.
Blake’s a moderately attractive guy but nothing stunning, IMO. He has the kind of looks you warm up to with personality.
Gavin is definitely more attractively, physically. It’s his personality that’s always been the turn off.
And the mommy shamers are out in full force. Get over yourselves.
Gavin’s team is really trying the most with this info. Gavin is constantly on tour or in Europe. He goes months without seeing the kids. They are with Gwen & Blake at home in LA like 90% of the time, and occasionally in Oklahoma which has become a second/vacation property for the whole family. Idk what the mediation is about obviously but my guess is Gwen is fed up with Gavin being all talk and no action where parenting is concerned.
Yeah – Gwen is probably going for more custody and decision making since she has them like 85% of the time and Gavin will probably move to London. Either that or since the kids never took a vacation with Gavin this summer, he may be pushing to lock in time that he could see them.
Gavin probably has to be touring though, no? It’s not like his incomes are anywhere near hers so yeah, he has to work for a living and that’s not exactly wrong or a bad example for his kids. Not everyone can get a gig on a TV show
Not much to side-eye if your ex’s partner behaves paternally toward your kids. If someone going to get involved with a partner who has children, you have to be engaged with their kids, especially when they’re that young. I’d be warier if he didn’t want to be involved with them at all than not.
Either way, I hope they work something out.
The oldest son used to be Gavin’s twin and now he looks just like Gwen. Trippy.
At first i read meditation and weird images came to mind.
She still hates his guts and he is quite manipulative. I’m guessing there’s some jealousy issues as well with Blake being so “father-like” to the boys and Gavin having a young side-piece who is also around the kids. I remember seeing the pap pics from when Gavin introduced Gwen to his young girlfriend at one of their son’s games. He had such a sh!t-eating grin on his face as Gwen walked away. I don’t even care much for Gwen anymore (used to be a huge fan), but I felt so bad for her. He is an ass. I think he will continue to be a fork in her side until the kids are adults.
I’m sorry, but the guy who got caught banging the nanny doesn’t get to complain about who Gwen has around the kids!
I’m confused, how have Blake and Gwen been together for several years now if she and Gavin only split in 2015?
Gavin is vile. He cheated on her for YEARS and he seems to parent when it is convenient for him. I think it is possible she is looking to move to Oklahoma with the boys and perhaps Gavin is having an issue with that. She could be seeking full custody or something.
The divorce was announced early August 2015, but Gwen found out about Gavin’s infidelity in early February. The split proper occurred before July, which is when Gwen and Blake reconnected on The Voice and bonded over their impending divorces. They announced they were dating early November 2015, which yes, is only a couple of months shy of three years. Time flies…
Cali divorce law is almost always 50/50 on custody. With two entertainers this is not always perfect. But because Gavin has to tour and work for a living, the courts will not punish him for that.. I think Gwen’s Church going is the issue. Gavin is Jewish and if he doesn’t want to take his children to church on Sunday, the courts will not interfere.. The other issue may be the obvious weight problem of the middle child. Gavin is very fit and he requested this meeting, with good reason imo.