Earlier this year, 59-year-old Gavin Rossdale went Instagram official with his (then) new girlfriend, an Albanian pop singer named Xhoana Xheneti, whose stage name is simply “Xhoana X.” The couple’s social media debut showed them celebrating Xhoana’s (pronounced Zo-ha-na) 35th birthday. At the time, everyone made a note of the physical similarities between Xhoana and Gavin’s ex-wife, Gwen Stefani. Both are bleach blondes with high cheekbones and an impeccable eyebrow game.
Since then, Gavin and Xhoana have flown fairly under the radar as a couple. While Gavin still pops up on her Insta page fairly regularly, he’s been touring with Bush this year, so most of his social media posts are pictures and videos promoting the band. On Sunday night, however, they made a “rare” appearance together on the red carpet for the 2024 MTV EMAs (European Music Awards), where Gavin served as a presenter. They even wore matching sheer black outfits.
Gavin Rossdale and his girlfriend, Xhoana Xheneti, made a rare public appearance at the 2024 MTV EMAs. The musicians — who have been dating since 2023 — walked the red carpet together in Manchester, England, on Sunday donning all-black ensembles.
Rossdale, 59, rocked a sheer T-shirt, sparkly jeans and sneakers with a white sole, while Xheneti, 35, opted for a scantily clad look comprised of a barely-there cutout dress, leather gloves and platform booties.
While the Bush frontman wore his shaggy dark hair slicked back, the Albanian singer — who bears an uncanny resemblance to Rossdale’s ex-wife, Gwen Stefani — wore her bleached tresses down and straight.
She also sported exaggerated makeup featuring a silver smokey eye and a bold red lip.
Rossdale and Xheneti posed for pictures together, taking turns looking lovingly at each other, before they made their way into the event, where the rocker presented an award.
The couple made their relationship public in March — when Rossdale posted a photo of Xheneti on Instagram in honor of her birthday.
“Hey finally got to have a birthday dinner with my girl @xhoana_x here’s to a year filled with magic for you 🖤,” he captioned a selfie from their celebratory dinner date.
The pair went on to make their red carpet debut at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards the following month. For the outing, Rossdale paired black pants with a matching jacket, which he wore atop a bright yellow T-shirt, while Xheneti dazzled in a light blue wrap-around gown.
“Fun night in hollywood for the @iheartradio awards!,” he captioned a series of snaps from the evening. “Saw some good friends. Watched some Excellent Performances. Lots of good music. @justintimberlake!!! Go @greenday.”
The father of four — who became a first-time grandfather last year — and his leading lady were photographed packing on the PDA while vacationing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in May.
Okay, we need to talk about Xhoana’s outfit and overall look of their matching sheer clothing. Something nice: they both look like they’re in great shape. Gavin, who was one of my middle school celeb crushes, doesn’t look a day over 49, and Xhoana’s body is bangin’. If she wants to flaunt it, then have at it. I get that they’re going for that rock ‘n roll look, but I’m kinda over the cut-out dresses like this. Is this trend going to end anytime soon? I love a good red lipstick look but I’m not sure how I feel about it as a part of this overall ensemble.
Oh, and for the record, when they went IG official back in March and everyone was pointing out how much Xhoana looked like Gwen, I was under the impression that she looked more like a young Angelina Jolie. After seeing these pictures of Gavin and Xhoana on the red carpet, I maintain that she is definitely embracing more of the Angie resemblance than the Gwen one. Just saying.
Photos credit: Heike Zwanziger/Future Image/Cover Images, PA Images/INSTARimages and via Instagram
I’m with you Rosie. I feel like people are grasping at straws. She looks nothing like Gwen Stefani. Nothing. Personally, if o had to compare her to a celebrity – it would be Pamela Anderson.
I can see why angelina, but im going with kylie minogue with extreme makeup
Clearly he likes platinum blonde, so that’s his type. But other than that I don’t see a strong resemblance to Gwen Stefani.
But holy moly in the balcony picture she looks just like Angelina with a blond wig.
Pamela Anderson. Boom. Pam has tried so hard to leave her plastic sex doll look behind, and I respect that, but she did essentially launch the era of Hollywood looks unattainable in nature, so here we are.
to me, they styling choices look like a mix of Madonna and Gwen.
I see Pamela Anderson as well.
I see Pamela Anderson too!
Gavin’s face reveals his age, and there is nothing wrong with that. He’s in great physical shape for sure, but he should stop dyeing his hair. It’s too harsh. For an MTV event her outfit is kinda cool except for the droopy skirt. The top part is flattering and I love the boots. But she needs a better make-up artist.
He looks his age, kind of old…for a moment I thought he had super skinny arms, then I realized it was just an optical illusion because of the color of his ink and the background
I also think he just looks old. Vedder also aged, but he still has charisma, charm, and is just a wholesome human. The Boss is 70+ but has the aura. Gavin, imo, was a one trick pony. And i am no fan of Gwen, they are both overrated.
…The Boss is HOT
Agree he just looks old, especially with that dyed dark hair. Gross.
OMG I came here to say the same thing. I thought that was his arm and I screamed out loud in shock. I figured I needed to clean my glasses to have been so confused so I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.
Dating a woman 23 years his junior who’s obviously had a fair amount of work done and is dressed like a 2000s sexy goth girl is not helping lol. Has that mid life crisis feeling to it. He looks fine, even good, for his age, save for the dye job. It’s everything else about him that’s tacky.
I went to HS with her in Santa Monica. She’s lying about her age. She is about 42 right now.
Please, tell us more. 🙂
She looks like she had a lot of surgery done.
I guess people call her Albanian now, but I’m pretty sure she was born in America. Also, that is her real name. Crazy, huh? You’d think she’d change her name of she wanted to get away with lying about her age!
She was beautiful in HS, and also quiet. I asked a lot of older friends if they remembered her and most say no because she was so quiet. They remember her weird name though. It’s actually very very sad she looks like this now, she used to be a natural beauty. Like…she used to actually look like Jolie. Now she looks…I mean…very well manufactured?
That’s interesting. We tend to get the ick from May December relationships, but how many of those women are shaving 5 to 10 years off their ages for Hollywood reasons. I would guess it’s a lot more than we realize.
According to a People article, she was born in Albania and moved to the US in 1996 with her mother after her parents divorced. If she’s 35 now, she would have been 7 then – if 42 now, then 13 then.
Ok, she may have been born there, but she is most definitely 41/42. Wish I could show you the yearbook photos! Also, if you look up pictures from her around 10 years ago…you tell me…does she look in her mid 20s or 30s? Haha. Yeah, I wonder who else in HWood does this? (Other than Rebel).
I still remember the days when I considered him attractive but I’m just an old Gen X fart. Guess we both aged a little, Gavin and I.
The cutout dresses don’t bother me so much, but I am tired to death of sheer or mesh skirts over tiny underwear as formalwear look. It was only interesting and shocking with the first 20 celebrities who did that this year (sarcasm). The designers basically are repurposing a bathing suit/coverup situation for the red carpet.
People compare her to Gwen because of her hair color and red lips, which was Gwen’s signature for a long time and if I remember correctly, Gwen said before that her look was Gavin’s preference. The nanny he cheated with was also trying to look like Gwen with her hair and makeup.
His attraction to that look predates Gwen – before her he was involved with a male singer with the stage name Marilyn who also had longish platinum blonde hair and red lipstick. It was around the early/mid 1980s and all the music shows and articles would talk about “androgynous” and “gender-bending” singers (their words not mine) and include Boy George & Marilyn in that group. They were a couple for awhile then he moved on to Gwen Stefani.
@Mtl.Ex.Pat, yeah I assumed that was just his preference regardless of Gwen, but wow I didn’t know he seek that in men too. lol. At least the guy knows what he wants, I guess.
@sevenblue – yeah at the time I remember reading commentary that Marilyn and Gwen Stefani looked alike with the hair, makeup and she also had a pretty “boyish” (again their words not mine) figure back then… so whether guy or girl I guess that’s what turns him on!
Both look “Too Tacky to be True”. I will never get why anyone who could afford clothes from any high end designer would choose to go out in public looking like this. The only celebrity who ever looked good in shocking see-thru wear was Cher in her Bob Mackie era. But that was Cher and she was always an original.
Yeah there are few celebs who could really own this look and Cher is definitely one of them. You have to have a whole-ass personality to make this look work.
Sure she has the same hair and lip colours as Gwen but that’s where it ends. She definitely looked more like Angelina to me.
Other than that this just makes me feel a bit sad and slightly embarrassed for him. I get that rock stars will do their rock star thing but this feels like trying too hard on all counts.
I think the big takeaway is that she’s really generic-looking. I can’t get behind the Jolie comparison because Jolie is so unique-looking and a natural beauty with a lot of style.
I really dislike it when couples do extremely matchy-matchy outfits. I don’t know why.
To me it’s associated with excessive control and lack of one’s own identity. And that’s why it gives me the creeps.
Spot on. When it’s not silly, it’s creepy (see: Marilyn Manson/Kanye and any of their partners/wives).
Yes! My husband’s colleague and partner showed up to a work event in essentially the his and hers version of same outfit. Everybody got a weird vibe from it.
Creepy. I’m that way with twins especially. Once saw a set, the women were in their late 30s/early 40s and were dressed exactly alike: denim shirts, same silver jewelry and makeup.
Anna Kournikova (spelling?), a former tennis player, mixed with Angelina Jolie is the closest I get to describing her facial features. With a dose of definitely dyed light blond hair.
I’m plastic surgery ignorant, so why is her face so shiny?
And yeah, nothing like Gwen expect she’s a woman.
this shine has something to do with botox I think. after some time of regular use the face looks like it was cast from wax.
Thanks. It’s a fine line between getting a little fix and looking like something from the crypt.
Gavin looks embarrassed in these photos
He has always looked like this with every women since Gwen.
He definitely has a type…..
I have nothing to write regarding the young lady, I will provide my opinion on Gavin – who IMO looks quite Weathered and Much Older than he really is – his face shows a lot of Hard Living. He was quite handsome and could have aged gracefully.
He looked really good in 2018 at his concert. This hair dye job really ages him. He also is suddenly looking more weathered in recent 2-3 years, unsure if it is ageing or what. I saw a video of him recently where his hair looked lighter brown, so unsure why he dyed it here.
That is a very frozen forehead
I maintain she’s going more for the undead/vampire resemblance.