LeAnn Rimes is set to make her long-awaited debut as a coach on the new series of The Voice UK this weekend, already known to millions around the world for her country hits.
But while the singer is the mastermind behind tracks including How Do I Live and Can’t Fight the Moonlight, as well as being the youngest singer in history to win a Grammy Award, she has also endured her fair share of personal struggles.
The hitmaker, 42, became embroiled in an on-set affair with her Lifetime co-star Eddie Cibrian, leading to his dramatic split from his wife Brandi Glanville.
She also became embroiled in a dramatic legal battle with her father Wilbur, alleging that he cheated her out of earnings while she was still a minor, in a case many compared to the ordeal suffered by fellow teen pop star Britney Spears.
Despite a string of woes, LeAnn is set to win over a whole new army of fans by taking her place in one of The Voice’s famous red chairs, alongside Tom Jones, will.i.am and joint coaches Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.
MailOnline takes a look at how one of Texas‘ biggest exports has overcome personal struggles to offer her guidance to Britain’s next big pop stars…
Legal battles with her father
LeAnn rose to prominence when she was just 13 years old, when she released her first hit Blue, with her career closely managed by her dad Wilbur and mother Belinda (pictured 1997)
When she was 17, Rimes filed a lawsuit against her father Wilbur, and her former manager Lyle Walker claiming that they had taken more than seven million dollars from her (pictured 1996)
After the lawsuit was settled, Rimes reconciled with her father before she married her first husband Dean Sheremet (pictured in 2010)
LeAnn first rose to prominence when she was just 13 years old, when she released her first hit single Blue, with her career and income closely managed by her dad Wilbur and mother Belinda.
But just a year later, her parents underwent a bitter divorce.
When she was 17, Rimes filed a lawsuit against her father Wilbur, and her former manager Lyle Walker claiming that they had taken more than seven million dollars from her.
Wilbur filed a counter-lawsuit and claimed that LeAnn has a problem with overspending, with the singer later saying: ‘I was being called a spoiled brat by some people. But, you know, people don’t know me.’
In 2002, the lawsuit was settled on ‘undisclosed terms, with Wilbur saying at the time: ‘It is difficult to express just how happy I am that all of the legal troubles between my daughter and I are over.’
Discussing the lawsuit, LeAnn also told ABC News in 2005: ‘I’ve never hated my dad. I just wanted a dad. I guess I just really disliked where he was in my life. I just wanted him to be my father.’
The legal battle drew many comparisons to Britney Spears’ conservatorship, with LeAnn herself also noting the similarities during an interview with The Independant.
She said: ‘When you’re in the public eye, everybody wants to make money off of that at the end of the day. You become a commodity instead of a human being, and that’s what breaks my heart.
‘And I’ve been there – I’ve experienced a lot of the same things. My heart deeply goes out to her.’
Following the lawsuit, Rimes reconciled with her father before she married her first husband Dean Sheremet, and Wilbur walked his daughter down the aisle at the ceremony.
Mental health struggles
LeAnn has previously shared how her battles with anxiety and depression began when she was just a teenager
Struggling with panic attacks and unable to sleep, as well as the fallout of her affair, LeAnn checked into a rehab facility on her 30th birthday in 2012
LeAnn has previously shared how her battles with anxiety and depression began when she was just a teenager.
She told PEOPLE: ‘There was so much emptiness and sadness amidst joy. And I had to be LeAnn Rimes, the entity, not LeAnn Rimes, the person. I was very fragmented.’
Struggling with panic attacks and unable to sleep, as well as the fallout of her affair, LeAnn checked into a rehab facility on her 30th birthday in 2012, because she needed to get out of her ‘deep codependency.’
She told Insider in 2022: ‘I was in a very, very dark place. I had never been alone. There was always someone around, whether it be a parent or a manager, an agent or a publicist, or a husband, or whatever it was.
‘It was just time. It was time for me to break away from my deep codependency and to figure out what was chemically going on to be able to take care of myself.’
The star admitted achieving success at such a young age and the stress that came with it had taken a toll on her mental health.
She said: ‘Being in the public eye from the time I was very young and having to override my humanness I think was a huge part of my experience with anxiety and depression and what was triggering it.’
In a past interview with Entertainment Tonight about her rehab stint, LeAnn said: ‘I feel like there’s only a handful of people that could understand where I’ve been through as a childhood star, and now actually having a career after that.
‘It’s hard to explain, and I’m not asking for anyone’s sympathy. It’s just as simple and as complicated as I need to go learn how to deal with myself, with the world, because everyone’s always looking in, and I needed to figure out how to deal with it.’
A shocking affair
LeAnn married her first husband, backup dancer Dean Sheremet, in 2002, but their union came to an abrupt end when it was revealed she had an affair (pictured in 2003)
The star began a romance with actor Eddie Cibrian in 2009 while filming the Lifetime movie Northern Lights, leading to the end of their respective backlash (pictured in 2020)
LeAnn faced huge criticism for the affair, later telling PEOPLE it had a huge impact on her mental health, but the couple weathered the storm, and married in 2011 (pictured in 2022)
LeAnn’s first marriage to backup dancer Dean Sheremet began in 2002, but came to an abrupt end when it was revealed she had been embroiled in an on-set affair with her co-star Eddie Cibrian, while working on the TV film Northern Lights.
The pair started their fling while she was married Dean and he to Brandi Glanville, with whom he shares two sons Mason, 21, and Jake, 17.
But rather then break off their fling when it came to light, instead the pair’s respective marriages came to an end and they tied the knot in 2011.
LeAnn faced huge criticism for the affair, and later told PEOPLE it had a huge impact on her mental health.
She said in 2020: ‘ ‘Obviously there are mistakes that I take great responsibility for, but my whole life I had cared what everyone thought of me. So the public shaming was a deep thing that I took on.’
‘I had so much underlying grief,’ she reflected, saying this affected her sleep and gave her panic attacks. ‘Everything accumulated, and I had to give in.’
‘At first I didn’t want to face my pain, because I thought I would get lost in it,’ she added. ‘But I didn’t. People are so ashamed to talk about it and ask for help. But taking away the shame is so important.’
After their marriage, LeAnn and Eddie moved into a $3 million mansion in LA’s Hidden Hills in 2013.
The pair went onto star in their own VH1 reality show in 2014, with LeAnn later saying it was their attempt to poke fun at the scandal surrounding their affair.
She told The Independant: ‘You either crumble under the weight of that or try to have a sense of humour about it, and I think it was our way to poke fun at everything.’
Having weathered the fallout of their affair, LeAnn and Eddie’s marriage is stronger than ever, with the actor pictured supporting his spouse while she filmed The Voice Australia earlier this year.
While the couple don’t have any children, she is a stepmother to his sons from his first marriage to Brandi.
Joining The Voice UK
Having already impressed Aussie viewers on The Voice, LeAnn has now joined the British version of the hit talent show
She will take her place in one of The Voice’s famous red chairs, alongside Tom Jones , will.i.am and joint coaches Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones
Having already impressed Aussie viewers on The Voice, LeAnn has now joined the British version of the hit talent show, alongside fellow new coaches Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones.
Following the announcement: LeAnn said: ‘I’m truly excited and grateful to take on the role of coach on The Voice UK and to be joining an epic panel of coaches.
‘Being able to work with and nurture emerging, vibrant talent in the UK represents a new chapter of my heart felt connection with the wonderful fans I’ve had deep ties with for decades.
‘I’m looking forward to offering my heart and guidance, sharing what I’ve learned through my own musical journey, and discovering the extraordinary talent that the UK is renowned for.’
Emma Willis is back presenting the show, as each of the hopefuls takes to the stage in the hope of turning one of the famous red chairs and winning a life changing record contract with music giants EMI, £50k and a holiday to Universal Studios Florida.
