Gwen Stefani shares rare childhood photos of son Zuma on his 18th birthday featuring Blake Shelton

Gwen Stefani was seen planting a kiss on her son Zuma Rossdale’s cheek in a sweet childhood photo featured in an Instagram video celebrating his 18th birthday. The 'No Doubt' singer dedicated the special video montage to Zuma as he officially stepped into adulthood. The montage featured footage of him throughout the years, including glimpses of his childhood, his growing-up years and his musical journey, along with special family moments also featuring Stefani’s husband, Blake Shelton.

Gwen Stefani, who shares Zuma and sons Kingston, 20, and Apollo, 12, with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, also included adorable photos of herself and Zuma laughing together. She captioned the post, "Happiest 18th birthday Zuma, I cannot believe u are 18 today!!" adding,"Watching u grow into the sweetest + most talented young man has been one of the greatest gifts of my life we love u soooo much Zuma."

The birthday tribute video also featured childhood moments of Zuma, including a sweet photo of him smiling alongside a fluffy pup. Gwen Stefani shares Zuma with ex-Gavin Rossdale. The duo split in 2015, and Stefani later married country singer Blake Shelton, who gladly took on stepdad duties.

One photo from the post showed a younger Zuma posing to show "Balke Shellton" written on his arm with a marker pen while standing beside his stepdad. The duo appeared to share a laugh before Shelton planted a kiss on Zuma's cheek. Speaking about Zuma turning 18 and another of Stefani’s sons reaching the milestone in a few years, Shelton told Entertainment Tonight that the couple will soon have “a lot more alone time,” a prospect he admitted he “wouldn’t be mad about.”

Another adorable clip featured in Stefani's Instagram tribute to her son showed a younger Zuma playing a mini guitar while dedicatedly singing a song. The moment highlighted his musical talent from an early age, foreshadowing a path that he would eventually choose as a career.

Another photo from the clip also showed Zuma Rossdale playing his mini blue guitar. The 18-year-old made his country music debut in 2024 after he went up on stage at his stepdad Blake Shelton's Ole Red bar in Okla. Before he walked out on stage, Shelton introduced his stepson, with the two wearing matching cowboy hats as the singer proudly looked on. In a fan video from the time, Shelton was looking on as Zuma sat on a stool, singing and playing guitar while performing Zach Bryan’s 'Oklahoma Smokeshow.'

One childhood photo of Zuma showed him making an expression of surprise or excitement with bright, shiny eyes and a wide-open mouth, capturing his innocence and playfulness.

One of the images also showed a very young Zuma sporting a black Bob Marley 'One Love' T-shirt with matching jeans and a jacket. In a touching full-circle moment, years later, in 2020, his parents, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, teamed up with their fellow voice coaches, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend, to sing a heartfelt cover of the same song.

In another image, Zuma could be seen posing outdoors and jokingly making a puffed face while sitting on what appears to be grass. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Blake Shelton shared that one of his favorite parts of being a stepdad is introducing Stefani’s sons to the things he loves most. He said, “I get to teach them the country, you know, and I love that. Whether it’s music, whether it’s literally getting out, getting their hands in the dirt or being out on the ranch, seeing the animals, whatever, you know? I absolutely love being the person that gets to introduce them to that stuff.”

One of the photos in the slideshow also showed a little Zuma posing for the camera while wearing children's formal wear. The little boy could be seen wearing a light blue suit with matching trousers, a grey undershirt and a black tie.

In another photo, Blake Shelton could be seen with an adolescent Zuma, with both embracing the country style in cowboy hats and comfortable striped shirts. While reflecting on the 10th anniversary of meeting his now-wife, Shelton opened up about being a stepdad to Gwen Stefani’s three sons and said he would happily relive the past decade, while acknowledging how quickly the boys are growing up. “If I could have a repeat of these past 10 years, [that] would be perfect,” he told Entertainment Tonight.

One of the photos also showed Gwen Stefani and Zuma posing for a cozy selfie, with the mother-and-son duo both flaunting their blonde hair. During a September 2012 appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show,' Stefani spoke about Zuma and revealed that she had already noticed his musical talent when he was just 4 years old, after seeing him regularly jamming with her bandmates.