Gwen Stefani Opens Up About Being Called ‘Disgusting’

Getty Gwen Stefani

In a new interview, “The Voice” coach Gwen Stefani says that she has gotten “a lot of trouble” about her style over the years, including people who call her “disgusting” or accuse her of hiding something because of her signature look.

Gwen Stefani Says She Relates to Feeling Insecure Because People Have Called Her ‘Disgusting’

On the October 31 episode of the podcast “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard,” Stefani told the host that she relates to his insecurities about things because she used to be very insecure about her signature look because people responded so negatively to her.

“I’ve gotten a lot of trouble for my makeup and I still do, like ‘Why are you wearing a mask? What’s underneath there? What are you trying to hide? Oh, you’re just going to school pick-up, why are you wearing that makeup? That’s disgusting, like who are you?’ We all read these things about ourselves,” said Stefani, adding, “I don’t put my makeup on and sit and stare at myself all day long. … The thing I love most about being creative and creating something and putting it out there, whether it’s music or designing something when people get a hold of that and they make it their identity … it’s such an incredible thing.”

Stefani went on to say that she has been “obsessed with makeup” since she was a little girl and she loves using it to make people feel good about themselves. Stefani used to work at a high-end makeup counter in a mall in Anaheim and she told Shepard, “I would do make-up for people and I loved it. I don’t know why I was good at it, no one told me how to do it, I didn’t take a class, but I could do it.”

She continued, “This girl came in with her husband, didn’t speak English, she had a birthmark on her face, she had a brand-new baby, and I remember putting her makeup on. The feeling she gave me and the gift I gave her was this moment of hope. She looked in the mirror and they were almost crying because she felt like she never saw herself like that.”

Stefani Said She is So Proud of Her New Beauty Line

In 2022, Stefan launched a beauty line called “GXVE” — pronounced “give,” but the spelling is because when she was young, she signed her name “GX,” like “G” for Gwen and “X” for a kiss, she told Shepard. She told the podcast that she is so proud of what her fans are creating with her makeup.

“I’m creating all these different products and when people get their hands on it, it’s really fun to see what they do with it. I have this community now of makeup lovers that are equally as obsessed with it as I am and they’re doing stuff with the makeup that I wouldn’t do and of course, they’re them, so it’s just really a fun thing,” said Stefani.

She’s also very proud of the fact that it’s a “clean” line, meaning it has no animal products and is cruelty-free, which isn’t something she set out to do but it ultimately became very important to her.

“I didn’t go out to make a clean line when I started this four years ago because I didn’t really care. I just wanted to make really good makeup that I can wear, that I want to wear. And as I got into it I started realizing some of the dangers that are out there and I didn’t know. I was ignorant,” Stefani admitted.

She went on to say that once she realized all the terrible ingredients and practices that can be part of the beauty industry, it became vital that her line was clean, but that presented its own challenges.

“That is a huge challenge to make a bold clean line because pigments and natural paints and things that you use, it’s hard. It’s hard because there’s a lot of things that you can’t use to make it bold. That has been a challenge, but a fun challenge,” said the isnger.

“I want people to be able to trust me on this one … This is a passion project. I don’t have to be doing this right now … I felt like I needed to do something creative and I would regret it if I didn’t,” said Stefani.

Currently, Stefani is back on “The Voice” coaching alongside her husband Blake Shelton and fellow coaches John Legend and Camila Cabello. In the spring, however, she is taking a break. The coaches are Shelton, returning coach Kelly Clarkson and new coaches Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan. Shelton has said that season 23 will be his last, but Stefani has not officially confirmed yet if season 22 is her final season.

“The Voice” airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on NBC.