Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale: A Look Back at their 20 Years Together

Twenty years of Gwen and Gavin, seen here in 2003, has come to an end. (Getty Images)
Twenty years of Gwen and Gavin, seen here in 2003, has come to an end. (Getty Images)

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale announced Monday that they "will no longer be partners in marriage," bringing an end to their 20-year romantic relationship.

To set the scene, when the parents of three got together back in 1995, Brad Pitt was People magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. The final episode of Full House aired. Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill won Album of the Year at the Grammys. And Gavin's alternative rock band, Bush, had ska punk group No Doubt, which released Tragic Kingdom that year, open for them on tour.

Yes, the British rocker, 49, was the bigger star — and he was hot for the blonde, 45. "I threw a party in New Orleans just as an excuse to hang out with her," Gavin recounted to Details in 2010. "We drank a bunch of hurricanes and went around the French Quarter. We had our first kiss that night, just walking around, being careful to step over the puddles of pee. The next day we had that sort of cute, embarrassed, sober meet-up."

It was a match made in '90s rocker heaven — and we look back at the highs and lows.

1995: They meet. They tour. They drink hurricanes and avoid pee. They fall in love.

1997: The couple, who embarked on a long-distance relationship, made things official by attending events together, including the Scream 2 premiere. It was the mini-buns and bindis era for the Anaheim, California, songstress, who wore camo pants, a navel-baring top, and sneakers on the red carpet (times have changed, right?), but mostly covered up the look with an oversized Tommy Hilfiger winter coat.

At their first event together, the 'Scream 2' premiere, in 2002 (Getty Images)
At their first event together, the 'Scream 2' premiere, in 2002 (Getty Images)

2002: After seeking approval from Gwen's father, Gavin proposes on New Year's Day and they marry in London on Sept. 14. The "Hey Baby" singer is one of the first celebs to shun a traditional white gown, opting for a Dior gown by John Galliano that was dyed pink at the bottom. While 150 guests attended, one of the most notable attendees was their Hungarian sheep dog, Winston. They married again stateside two weeks later.

Gwen's wedding dress was totally rock and roll — and the couple had their dog at the wedding. (Getty Images)
Gwen's wedding dress was totally rock and roll — and the couple had their dog at the wedding. (Getty Images)

2004: It should be a great time for Gwen, who releases her first solo album, Love.Angel.Music.Baby, and sees her career explode. However, her relationship is rocked when a DNA test shows Gavin is the father of British singer/designer Pearl Lowe's 15-year-old daughter, model Daisy Lowe. Gavin had a relationship with Pearl years before meeting Gwen and was actually Daisy's godfather. Gwen is reportedly "devastated" by the news.

They are thrown a curveball in 2004, but look happy at the 'Aviator' premiere in December. (Getty Images)
They are thrown a curveball in 2004, but look happy at the 'Aviator' premiere in December. (Getty Images)

2005: Gwen — who previously told the Washington Post, "All I wanted to ever do was get married and have babies, have a house. So it's weird that I'm in a rock group" — finds out she's pregnant. She announces the baby news during a December concert, telling the audience, "I want you to sing so loud that the baby hears it!"

Baby on the way! Gwen and Gavin at the Grammys in 2006. (Getty Images)
Baby on the way! Gwen and Gavin at the Grammys in 2006. (Getty Images)

2006: Gwen and Gavin welcome their first child, son Kingston James McGregor Rossdale, in May.

2008: After telling InStyle, "I'm in a race to have another," Gwen's second son, Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale, is born in August. Meanwhile, her professional successes (music, fashion line, and commercials) soar, with Forbes naming her the world's 10th highest paid music personality.

With the kids at Disney (Getty Images)
With the kids at Disney (Getty Images)

2009: The cross-dressing singer Marilyn reveals that he had a romantic relationship with Gavin when they were teens. He spoke out about it a year later to Details, saying, "When you're 17, Jesus Christ. I don't think there's anything strange about any form of — you're learning about life. It's a part of growing up. That's it. No more, no less." He said it was a one-time experimentation. "That was it. You have to know what you like, and I know what I like."

Meanwhile, in an interview with Elle, Gwen talks about her lack of experimentation. "It's like, I only had two boyfriends in my life, and I married one of them," says Stefani, whose other boyfriend was her bandmate Tony Kanal. "That's how I wound up getting over Tony. It was like, Wow, someone can be really into me! Someone likes me!"

2010: Courtney Love tells Howard Stern that she had an eight-month relationship with Gavin when he was dating Gwen. "He was such an Adonis in his day!" the Hole singer brags. "He got good in bed ... something happened. Maybe Gwen taught him, for all I know." The same year, Gwen reportedly suffers a miscarriage. She doesn't address is publicly, but in 2012 she told Marie Claire, "I really, really, really wanted one about two years ago. And it didn't really work out. So… I feel good with what we’ve got. Everything works out how it should."

A family day for the premiere of 'Monsters Inc.' (Getty Images)
A family day for the premiere of 'Monsters Inc.' (Getty Images)

2011: Gwen talks marriage with Vogue, describing it as hard but rewarding work. "It's pride. You feel proud. There are just so many rewards that come with it," she says. "But, actually, it's fun to get to this point. Because you learn so much about somebody. It’s like these wars that go on and then you kind of get through to the other side, and it’s like, 'Wow.'" She adds that having children was the "ultimate collaboration. ... Having kids takes the whole relationship to another place. ... Both of us have such strong opinions about how it should be, and it’s really fun to do it together."

2012: Photos are released showing Gavin with his hand on a young woman's rear while hiking. Rumors swirl he has something going on with the nanny. It's later reported that it was his sister. Soon after, Star magazine reports that the couple is close to separating. "Gwen often wonders what other secrets Gavin is hiding," a source tells the magazine, adding that Gwen "feels like she doesn’t even know" Rossdale at times. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Gwen, who is rarely without her signature red lips, says, "I like to make my husband like me more. And he likes it when I'm wearing makeup."

Gavin posted this photo as a Mother's Day tribute to Gwen in 2014, 'YOU'RE THE QUEEN.ALL LOVE AND ETERNAL THANKS.' (Instagram)
Gavin posted this photo as a Mother's Day tribute to Gwen in 2014, 'YOU'RE THE QUEEN.ALL LOVE AND ETERNAL THANKS.' (Instagram)

2014: A month after confirming on Instagram that she's pregnant (with the hashtag #surroundedbyboys), Gwen gives birth to Apollo Bowie Flynn Rossdale in February. On Mother's Day in May, Gavin posts an Instagram tribute to her calling her "the queen."

Gwen joins The Voice and Gavin is a mentor for her team. They don't share a dressing room, and Gavin admits, "That's a bit unromantic. But she has a really big team!" Though they got along on set, "I just did my best not to interrupt her too much," he says. In late December, Gwen posts her last Instagram photo of Gavin, a pic of them kissing with some hearts. They make their final public appearance as a couple at the People Magazine Awards.

Their last public appearance in December (Getty Images)
Their last public appearance in December (Getty Images)

January 2015: As Bush's sixth album is released, Gavin talks to Rolling Stone about the band's rocky journey. He quips that his wife's amazing success keeps him humble, saying, "You might come in with two of something, and she's got 12 of something." But he praises her, gushing, "She's taught me how to be a better person."

The last photo Gwen posted of Gavin on Instagram in December. (Instagram)
The last photo Gwen posted of Gavin on Instagram in December. (Instagram)

February 2015: In an interview with Cosmopolitan, Gwen gives a brow-raising quote about marriage, saying, "We go through so much together — it's a miracle that we could stay together this long." The stunner also downplays her own looks, telling the mag, "I never really saw myself landing a guy that hot. I don't know if I was a nerd in high school, but I definitely wasn't the super-cute cheerleader so I never saw myself getting somebody like that."

August 2015: The couple announces that their romantic relationship is over after 20 years. "While the two of us have come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage, we remain partners in parenthood and are committed to jointly raising our three sons in a happy and healthy environment," they say in a statement. "To that end, we respectfully request privacy from the media during this time."