Signs Miranda Lambert Hasn't Fully Moved On From Her Blake Shelton Divorce

Miranda Lambert has had her share of heartbreak, with one of the most notable examples being a contentious split from her ex-husband Blake Shelton. The two country stars tied the knot in 2011 after a whirlwind romance, only to have their marriage end just four years later. "This was not the future we envisioned," read their joint statement in July 2015 (via Us Weekly). "And it is with heavy hearts that we move forward separately. We are real people, with real lives, with real families, friends, and colleagues. Therefore, we kindly ask for privacy and compassion concerning this very personal matter."

They did indeed "move forward separately," as both parties have since remarried. Lambert was the first to take the plunge again, marrying New York City police officer Brendan McLoughlin after only a few months of dating in 2019. Shelton was quick to follow, proposing to pop sensation Gwen Stefani in 2020 after working with her as a coach on the hit primetime show "The Voice." They married a year later in July 2021, and have been going strong ever since.

Although the divorce is nearing its tenth anniversary and both parties have seemingly moved on, it's clear the relationship was a difficult one for Lambert to get over. There are signs that after all this time, feelings may still linger for the songstress.

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton made sparks fly after being paired together to sing the hit song "You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma," originally performed by David Frizzell and Shelly West. The performance was a standout at the "CMT 100 Greatest Duets" special in 2005, and although Lambert was engaged to country singer Jeff Allen McManus at the time, she spoke of an instant connection to Shelton. "It was just like this draw to each other. It was just sort of this inevitable chemistry," she revealed to VH1 on her "Behind the Music" special (via Entertainment Weekly).

Shelton was quick to agree regarding his first impression of the "Little Red Wagon" singer. "I was a married guy, you know? Standing up there and singing with somebody and going, 'Man, this shouldn't be happening,'" he admitted. "Looking back on that, I was falling in love with her, right there on stage."

Lambert broke off her engagement and the two began officially dating in 2006 after Shelton's divorce from his first wife, Kaynette Williams. They went on to reign as one of country music's most prominent power couples for almost a decade, their strong connection a difficult one from which Lambert had to break free. 

A source close to Miranda Lambert spilled to E! News that the "Kerosene" singer anticipated the announcement that her ex Blake Shelton was dating Gwen Stefani mere months after they broke the news of their divorce in 2015. "She was not surprised to hear of the romance between Blake and Gwen. They were always pretty flirty," the source revealed. Though the two coaches on "The Voice" maintained they were only friends before Shelton's divorce from Lambert, speculation regarding when they got together persisted, with another source revealing to Us Weekly that Lambert "had her suspicions."

Perhaps Lambert's ease in believing that Shelton would stray during their marriage has something to do with his past behavior –- he was married when the two of them met and fell in love, and Lambert has publicly revealed that played an active role in how and when they got together. "I knew he was married," she admitted to Hoda Kotb in an interview on Dateline in 2011. "I had seen their wedding picture in Country Weekly. I knew better, like, this is off limits. My parents are private investigators for God's sake. I've seen this my whole life –- affairs. Of all people to know better, I know better than this."

While both Miranda Lambert and Gwen Stefani are stars in their own right, only one of them was initially big in the country music business. Lambert and ex-husband Blake Shelton share a high status on the Nashville scene, while the "I'm Just a Girl" singer has always been a pop star. Inspired by new exposure to country music artists on "The Voice," as well as by her new man, Stefani immediately showed an interest in breaking into country music after she and Shelton got together. Inside sources have revealed that Lambert wasn't too thrilled about Stefani stepping on her toes, and may have even been rallying her friends to reject Stefani.

"They're doing their best to make her entry into this tight-knit society difficult," an insider told Radar in March 2023. "These country gals take offense that a pop star would have the gall to even want to be a country singer." The insider went on to claim Lambert and her friends were "making fun of Gwen's singing, her bleach-blond hair and overall style, which they think is tacky." Nashville is a tight-knit community, and with Lambert ranking as country royalty, her sway over the scene has the potential to be detrimental when it comes to Stefani's acceptance into the country community. Lucky for Stefani, she has Shelton's massive influence on her side.

While there was a time when Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton were gracing stages with steamy performances, these days Shelton has a new country duet partner in Gwen Stefani. The two crooned their single "Happy Anywhere" in front of a green screen from Los Angeles at the 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards, where Lambert was nominated for Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Music Event of the Year. Despite having to tolerate the virtual performance from her ex and Stefani, the "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" singer took home her 35th ACM award that night and brought down the house with a performance of her own. She sang an acoustic rendition of "Bluebird" from the iconic Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

Perhaps the duet was designed to put the "No Doubt" frontwoman back on top after enduring a jab from Shelton's ex during a previous performance when the country music legend made a lyric change to her well-known song "Little Red Wagon." Lambert used to live in Oklahoma with Shelton, as the original lyrics stated, "I live in Oklahoma," but on the night of the 2019 ACM Awards, she sang, "I got the hell out of Oklahoma" (via Country Music Nation). Although the singer has moved from Oklahoma to Texas, and finally on to the country capital of Nashville, she'll never truly get distance from Shelton and his new spouse while all three of them continue to pursue the country music scene.

Although Miranda Lambert's "Postcards From Texas" album dropped in September 2024, a little over nine years after her divorce from Blake Shelton went public, there is strong reason to believe their relationship informed more than a few lyrics on the record. Their breakup may have been rife with drama, but now any references to that difficult time look to be more focused on the growth that can be achieved when you have to let go of someone you love.

Topping the list of songs rumored to be about Shelton is "Run," which was a solo write for Lambert, despite her preference for collaborations and co-writing. With lyrics that read: "Oh this freedom I found, baby, sure wasn't free / I owe you a lifetime of apologies / I'm tellin' the truth now, I love you so much / I'm sorry for lyin' about who I was," it's easy to see how personal the song is to Lambert. The sentiment is a far cry from the "Gunpowder & Lead" singer's initial attitude toward the demise of her marriage when both parties were quick to publicly blame each other.

Ironically, Lambert credits her current spouse, Brendan McLoughlin, with convincing her to release the track after having it on the back burner for nearly ten years. "He did. Actually did," she admitted to Variety after being asked if McLoughlin encouraged her to include it on the album. "So I appreciated the nudge," she explained. "Because I've done those kind of songs my whole career, but they aren't ever a very comfortable place to be."