‘The Voice’ coach Blake Shelton sues magazine over rehab story

In this June 26, 2015 file photo, singer-songwriter Blake Shelton performs on Day 1 of the 2015 Big Barrel Country Music Festival at The Woodlands in Dover, Delaware. Shelton sued In Touch Weekly and its parent company Bauer Publishing Co. on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, for defamation over a September cover story claiming the country music star was drinking heavily, it contributed to his divorce from Miranda Lambert and he was headed to rehab. AP

LOS ANGELES, United States — Blake Shelton sued the tabloid magazine In Touch Weekly on Monday over a cover story claiming heavy drinking by the country music star contributed to his divorce from Miranda Lambert and that he was headed to rehab.

Shelton’s defamation lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court seeks more than $1 million in damages over the story that his lawyers say is false.

The lawsuit against In Touch publisher, Bauer Publishing Co., contends the tabloid has repeatedly published false information about the singer and his breakup with Lambert.

“Blake Shelton has had enough,” the lawsuit begins before refuting claims made in the article and laying out the Grammy-nominated singer’s busy schedule. “Mr. Shelton is not in rehab and has no plans to go to rehab.”

An email sent to publicists for In Touch was not immediately returned.

The lawsuit points out that Shelton continues to work as a judge on NBC’s “The Voice” and on an upcoming greatest hits album.

In Touch published the story in late September that alleged Shelton was drinking heavily and that his actions contributed to the end of his marriage to Lambert. It previously published a story claiming Shelton had cheated on Lambert and that contributed to their divorce.

The rehab cover story also proclaimed that Shelton had hit “rock bottom.”

“To be clear: Mr. Shelton has not hit rock bottom,” the lawsuit states. It accuses In Touch of publishing the story without reaching out to the singer’s lawyers or other representatives.

The lawsuit states Shelton, 39, has sought a retraction of the story but received no response.

In addition to monetary damages, Shelton is seeking an injunction that would prevent In Touch from repeating allegations in the disputed story.