Gavin Rossdale reflects on ‘debilitating’ Gwen Stefani divorce: ‘You don’t want to let your kids down’

The Bush frontman added that he “would never want to overly say anything negative about their mom. That’s just not right.”

Gavin Rossdale is looking back on what he says was a “debilitating” divorce from Gwen Stefani, noting that the split was particularly difficult because of how it affected their children.

On the latest episode of Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes’ Amy & T.J. podcast, the Bush frontman, 58, revealed that he “never thought [he’d] get divorced” and called it his “clearest, simplest shame.”

“I feel bad for my kids, that’s it,” Rossdale said. “That would be the most profound thing, of like, I wish I could have just figured out a way to not have that in their lives.”

Reflecting on his own upbringing and how it influenced his music, he added, “It wasn’t fun for me to be from a broken home. I think in a way it gave me a career so I don’t mind, because I turned it around into sort of an interesting career path, but it can be quite debilitating for kids… The overriding thing is like, you don’t want to let your kids down.”

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale in 2014.

Rossdale and Stefani (then best known as the lead singer of No Doubt) first met in 1995 and married in 2002. They split in 2015 and continue to co-parent their three children: Kingston, 17; Zuma, 15; and Apollo, 10. Rossdale also is father to Daisy Lowe, 34, from a previous relationship.

Rossdale didn’t refer to Stefani, 54, by name but said on the podcast, “It’d be nice if there was more of a connection with the person who made [their children] with me,” adding that “there’s a loss” he’s aware of.

“I go to a lot of events where there’s ‘the other team,’ so to speak, and I just feel really proud of myself in my consistency as a father,” Rossdale said, seemingly referring to Stefani and her husband, Blake Shelton (stepfather to their kids). “I know in my heart that I’m super-consistent.”

Rossdale also stated that he tries not say anything negative about his ex, despite their split being a “very contentious, hugely emotional, flared-up situation,” because he knows it wouldn’t be fair to their children. “Less said, soonest mended,” he said. “I’m handcuffed because I would never want to overly say anything negative about their mom. That’s just not right.”

Listen to Rossdale on Amy & T.J. above.