Nestled in the serene countryside of Tishomingo, Oklahoma, Ten Point Ranch spans over 1,300 acres of lush fields, ponds, and wooded areas. For Blake Shelton, the country music icon, and Gwen Stefani, the pop superstar, this expansive estate is more than just a retreat from their bustling lives in Los Angeles—it’s a place where their love story has blossomed, culminating in their intimate 2021 wedding in a custom-built chapel on the grounds. The couple has frequently shared their affection for the ranch, showcasing their gardening adventures and family moments with Stefani’s three sons, Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo. Yet, a recent discovery by Stefani has unveiled a deeply emotional secret hidden within the walls of their Oklahoma mansion, shedding light on a private side of Shelton’s life that few have seen.

A Love Story Rooted in Oklahoma

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s relationship, which began in 2014 on the set of The Voice, has been a captivating blend of opposites. Shelton, a proud Oklahoman with a deep connection to rural life, and Stefani, a Los Angeles native known for her glamorous rock aesthetic, found common ground in their shared experiences of heartbreak and resilience. After meeting during their respective divorces, they forged a bond that led them to Ten Point Ranch, a property Shelton purchased over a decade ago. The ranch, described as a 15,000-square-foot mansion with Southern and Victorian architectural influences, boasts a gray roof, white Roman columns, a sprawling front porch, and a lakefront view. It’s a place where the couple has built memories, from planting wildflowers to hosting family gatherings.

Stefani has often spoken about how the ranch transformed her perspective. In a 2023 interview with People, she reflected, “I am not really a dirt person, a bug person, I don’t like that much humidity. But you sort of get over it all because it’s so beautiful [in Oklahoma], and you kind of feel like you’re going into this vortex and it’s just different here.” The couple’s shared love for gardening, evident in social media posts showcasing vibrant zinnias, irises, and purple daffodils, has become a hallmark of their life at Ten Point Ranch. Their 2020 duet, “Happy Anywhere,” captures the essence of their contentment in this rural escape, with Stefani embracing a lifestyle she never imagined.

The Mystery of the Locked Room

Despite their openness about life on the ranch, one element remained shrouded in mystery: a room in the mansion that Shelton kept locked and off-limits, even to Stefani. The room, tucked away in a secluded corner of the sprawling home, was a topic of quiet curiosity for Stefani. “Blake would always change the subject when I asked about it,” Stefani shared in a recent interview with Architectural Digest. “He’d say it was just storage or a place for his hunting gear, but there was something about the way he said it that made me wonder.” The couple’s home, designed with the help of AD100 interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Blume Architecture, is a blend of rustic charm and modern elegance, with vibrant living spaces and family-oriented design. Yet, this single room remained an enigma, its door always closed, its contents a secret known only to Shelton.

For years, Stefani respected her husband’s privacy. The room, she assumed, was a personal space where Shelton retreated for solitude, perhaps to reflect on his career or unwind after long days of ranch work. Shelton, known for his laid-back demeanor and love for hunting and fishing, often spoke of the ranch as a place to reconnect with his roots. “It’s where I feel most like myself,” he told Hook & Barrel Magazine in 2025. But the locked door piqued Stefani’s curiosity, especially as their life together deepened and the ranch became a shared sanctuary.

The Day of Discovery

One quiet afternoon in early 2025, while Shelton was out tending to the ranch’s sweetcorn fields—a task he humorously documented on Instagram, joking about his Kubota tractor getting stuck in the mud—Stefani found herself alone in the mansion. Curiosity got the better of her. “I don’t know what came over me,” she admitted in a heartfelt post on X. “I just felt like I needed to know. It wasn’t about distrust; it was about wanting to understand every part of him.” With a mix of hesitation and intrigue, she approached the locked door, which, to her surprise, was slightly ajar.

Stepping inside, Stefani was met with a sight that took her breath away. The room was not a storage closet or a hunting lodge, as she had imagined, but a carefully curated shrine to Shelton’s late brother, Richie Shelton, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 1990 when Blake was just 14 years old. The walls were adorned with framed photographs of Richie, a budding musician himself, alongside handwritten letters, concert tickets, and mementos from their childhood in Ada, Oklahoma. A guitar, worn but meticulously preserved, sat in a corner, its strings still gleaming as if waiting for Richie to pick it up. A small shelf held a collection of vinyl records, including some of Richie’s favorite artists, and a notebook filled with lyrics the brothers had written together as teenagers.

“I stood there, just taking it all in, and I started crying,” Stefani shared. “It was like stepping into Blake’s heart. I could feel how much Richie meant to him, how much that loss shaped who he is.” The room was a testament to Shelton’s grief and love for his brother, a private space where he could honor Richie’s memory without the world’s scrutiny. A small plaque on the wall read, “For Richie, my first hero,” a quiet declaration of the bond that continues to influence Shelton’s music and life.

A Brother’s Lasting Legacy

Richie Shelton’s death at the age of 24 was a pivotal moment in Blake’s life. In interviews, Shelton has occasionally spoken about the profound impact of losing his brother, who introduced him to country music and inspired his early passion for songwriting. “Richie was the one who showed me what music could do, how it could tell a story,” Shelton said in a 2018 interview with CMT. The loss left a void that Shelton has carried throughout his career, evident in the emotional depth of songs like “Over You,” co-written with his then-wife Miranda Lambert, which was inspired by Richie’s passing.

The discovery of the room added a new dimension to Stefani’s understanding of her husband. “I knew Blake had been through a lot, but seeing that room made me realize how much he’s been carrying all these years,” she said. “It’s not just a room; it’s a piece of his soul.” Stefani, who has faced her own share of personal challenges, including her divorce from Gavin Rossdale, felt a renewed connection to Shelton. She described the moment as “a gift,” one that deepened their bond and reminded her of the vulnerability beneath his larger-than-life persona.

A Shared Journey Forward

Rather than confront Shelton about entering the room, Stefani chose to approach the moment with sensitivity. That evening, as they sat on the porch overlooking the lake, she gently brought up her discovery. “I told him I went in, and I was so scared he’d be upset, but he just looked at me and smiled,” she recalled. Shelton shared stories of Richie, from their fishing trips to their dreams of making it big in Nashville. For the first time, he invited Stefani to sit with him in the room, where they spent hours looking through the mementos and listening to old recordings of Richie’s voice.

The experience has inspired Stefani’s upcoming album, Bouquet, set to release later this year. The country-rock record, described as an homage to their relationship, includes a track rumored to be titled “For Richie,” a heartfelt tribute to Shelton’s brother and the love that binds the couple. “This album is about finding home, and for me, that’s Blake and everything he holds dear,” Stefani told Yahoo. The couple’s shared moments at the ranch, from planting flowers to uncovering hidden truths, have become a cornerstone of their creative and personal lives.

A Sanctuary of Love and Memory

Ten Point Ranch remains a place of solace and connection for Shelton and Stefani. The chapel where they exchanged vows, the fields where they tend to their crops, and now the secret room that holds Richie’s memory—all are threads in the tapestry of their life together. For fans, the story of the secret room is a reminder of the humanity behind the celebrity couple, a testament to the power of love, loss, and legacy.

As Stefani continues to embrace her role as a “garden flower nerd” and Shelton plans his next tour, the ranch stands as a symbol of their shared journey. “Oklahoma is where I found my heart,” Stefani said in a 2023 interview. With the secret room no longer a mystery, it has become a space for both to honor the past while building their future, proving that even in a 15,000-square-foot mansion, the smallest rooms can hold the deepest truths.