Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton Finally Confirmed That They're Dating And I'm Pissed

Gwen Stefani played coy the other day when Ryan Seacrest asked her if she's dating fellow The Voice judge Blake Shelton. Gwen suggested that the rumor was something that NBC started, saying: “I think that NBC did that, right? Two divorced people at the same time.” She swiped Ryan's question away, refusing to give a yes or no answer, though she did say that she thought Blake was "hot." Curious.

Literally hours after we were all forced to believe that thinking someone is hot is not the same as dating that person, TMZ confirmed Gwen and Blake's relationship right before the CMAs. So, like we previously thought, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are indeed dating. And I'm pissed. Because I feel like I've been lied to.

Celebrities and their PR teams often refuse to give yes or no answers to the big dating question for a variety of reasons. They want to do things on their own time. They don't want their private relationships to be public, despite the fact that the public will inevitably find out anyway. They're already going through a lot and don't want the added stress of tabloids and paparazzi covering their romantic nights out together. Particularly in Gwen and Blake's case, they're both in the middle of divorces and probably don't want their exes or children to feel slighted. Gwen and Blake also filed for divorces within weeks of one another, something even Gwen admitted was a strange coincidence during her interview with Ryan.

All of these reasons for keeping a romance private are perfectly valid. I'm a private person. I don't want everyone knowing about my romantic relationships—or if I'm being honest, lack thereof. While I'm more than eager to root on single people getting it in in hopes of finding love or maybe even just good sex, I can't help but feel annoyed at how Gwen and Blake (Blen? Gwake?) handled their sitch.

TMZ reports that Gwen's rep said that Shelfani (there really is no good mashup of their names) "wanted to reveal the new relationship Wednesday night as they celebrate the CMAs in Nashville." Alright, I get that. They wanted to do things on their own time. Also from TMZ:

"Gwen made the decision at the last minute to fly to Nashville with Blake. We're told her plan is to go to the after-parties but not the CMAs. We asked if it was because Miranda Lambert was going to be there and one source said, 'She doesn't care if Miranda's there or not. She just didn't have the right clothes for the award ceremony because it was so last minute.'"

Gwen denies it, but it's hard to say that past relationships don't play a role in your current ones. And regardless of wanting to do things on your own time, refusing to answer a yes or no question is sketchy as hell, and it only makes you look sketchier when you then confirm the rumor days after.

A part of me feels sad that this is how celebrities handle things just to feel like they have control over their own lives. I'd rather be honest and upfront than feel as though I have to follow some PR person's guidelines. What ever happened to just saying what's really going on? Would throwing all of the rules out the window in favor of being forthright make life easier or harder?

I'm gonna go with easier. To me, it's always better to just say it. But then again, I'm not worth nearly $100 million, nor do I have kids and an ex-husband. Still, I can't help but feel as though if it's right, you don't have anything to hide.