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Melissa Etheridge is absolutely loving life with wife Linda Wallem by her side. The country queen recently got candid with People about her longstanding friendship with her bride and the evolution of their love story.
“[Linda and I are] so supportive of each other. It’s the best relationship I’ve had in my whole life. After my second breakup, I had four kids and was like, ‘I’m obviously horrible at picking partners. I’m not going to do this anymore.’” Etheridge and Wallem were actually close friends for a decade before allowing their love to blossom.
“I had so much fun with her as a person. We were able to slowly step into it, and it was so perfect. Life is not just second chances — life is always chances. There’s no, 'Well, that’s just the way it is.' We can always make a different choice.”
Speaking of making choices in the name of personal evolution, the "I'm The Only One" star went through two very public splits with exes Julie Cypher, with whom she shares daughter Bailey, 27, and late son, Beckett (who passed away at 21), and Tammy Lynn Michaels, with whom she shares twins Johnnie and Miller, 17. Though prioritizing crumbling relationships amid a thriving career posed difficult at times, the entire process led Etheridge to Wallem.
The lovebirds are so perfectly in sync that they even share the same birthday! Etheridge joked that this factor definitely "helps a lot."
“I can tell you it helps. It helps a lot. We’re Gemini, so we just think we’re the coolest. We just have a lot of fun.”
The GRAMMY-winning standout is gearing up to release her new docuseries Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken via Paramount+ on July 9th!