Blake Shelton isn't taking the rumors about him going to rehab lightly. In October, the 39-year-old country singer sued InTouch Weekly for $2 million after the tabloid magazine posted a cover story about him having a drinking problem following his divorce from Miranda Lambert. The story stated that Shelton had started drinking heavily as a way to cope with the split and that he was headed for divorce, and he was not pleased with this, as he claimed that it was false information.
Now, Shelton has spoken out about the lawsuit he filed, in which he sued InTouch's parent company Bauer Media for defamation and false invasion of privacy. The country star says he was "furious" to see them describe him as a "man who cannot function, cannot do his job, and is on the brink of death without treatment."
"Not only was I not in rehab or headed to rehab when it was published but I also do not have a drinking problem," Shelton claims in the lawsuit. "All of this was false and went so far beyond prior stories about me that I had previously denied with humor. I do not drink excessively, binge drink, or have a drinking problem. I do not, as the Rehab Story alleges, drink vodka before 11:00 a.m. I am never drunk, intoxicated, or unable to perform my job on 'The Voice' or elsewhere. I do not slur my words or stumble when I drink. I have never urinated on a mailbox in public, or otherwise. I did not start drinking at 14."
Shelton, who is now dating singer Gwen Stefani, then went on to explain that he was never unfaithful to Lambert during their marriage, as the tabloid claimed that she had found him in their home with a bunch of naked women. He also added that their divorce had nothing to do with a drunken action.
"During our marriage, Ms. Lambert never begged, demanded, or asked me to go to rehab," he continued. "I did not handle my first divorce by drinking, nor has my drinking increased or escalated since my divorce from Ms. Lambert."
Bauer Media has since fired back and has said that the story was "substantially true." Bauer is asking that the lawsuit be dropped because the article never once said that he was in rehab, just that sources had said that that's where he was headed. A hearing is reportedly scheduled for some time later this month.
