Gwen Stefani explains her decision to be so open about her divorce

'In February, my family fell apart. It was devastating,' says Stefani

Gwen Stefani and husband Gavin Rossdale have three sons together (Getty)

Gwen Stefani has explained her decision to speak so openly about her divorce from Gavin Rossdale, describing this and her heartbreak as a secret she was unable to keep.

Unlike many famous spouses who do everything within their power to shroud their private life in secrecy, Stefani has been forthright about her split from Ross and her new relationship with Blake Shelton, a fellow judge on The Voice.

Stefani and Rossdale met in 1995 when No Doubt supported his band Bush on tour. They divorced in 2015, announcing in a statement that they had “come to the mutual decision that we will no longer be partners in marriage.” However, they vowed to remain “partners in parenthood”.

In an interview with Pride Source, Stefani reiterated the pain getting divorce has caused her, comparing it to death. However, the No Doubt singer said trying to hide everything thereafter was not an option.

“Everybody knows what happened to me,” she said. “I got a divorce. It's the worst thing that can happen to me besides death. My dreams are shattered and I feel so embarrassed about what happened.

“I don't feel embarrassed to talk about it though, with respect to my kids. I just think what happened was: In February (2015), my family fell apart. It was devastating. I didn't know what to do. It was a real big secret, but as I just explained, I'm not good with that. I tried everything to fix it."