Blake Shelton-Gwen Stefani relationship announcement poorly timed?

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Stefani confirms she and Shelton are dating

But did she have to do it right before the CMA Awards?

Hours before country music's biggest night, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani confirmed they were an item. The news came as a shock to many fans who felt the pair's announcement came at an odd time.

"This is definitely a mess in the making," pop culture expert Cate Meighan told FOX411 Country. "I think people are all over the fact that Stefani's reps confirmed [Wednesday] as they hit the red carpet. It almost looked purposeful."

Reps for both stars said the pair had only gotten together "very recently," however Meighan said "in Hollywood, nobody confirms a relationship a couple [of] dates in. They've been together for a while."

Both Shelton and ex-wife Miranda Lambert attended the CMA Awards, where they were on the receiving ends of several divorce jokes. While Shelton was spotted laughing along in the audience to the lighthearted quips, Lambert was nowhere to be seen after she walked the red carpet, debuting her pink hairdo.

Lambert later took the stage to perform a personal tune she penned called "Bathroom Sink." The song was an somber choice. It is about trying to love the person you see in the mirror.

"It's amazing the amount of rejection that I see / In my reflection and I can’t get out of the way / I’m lookin’ forward to the girl I wanna be / But regret has a way of starin’ me right in the face / So I try not to waste too much time at the bathroom sink."

According to E! News, as soon as the performance was over, tears swelled up in Lambert's eyes as she quickly rushed offstage. When she accepted her award for female vocalist of the year, she was clearly emotional.

"I needed a bright spot this year," she said.

Shelton, who did not take home any awards, sang his hit "Gonna," a bro-country anthem about trying to win a girl over. 

Meighan noted that Lambert’s approach was to shy away from the cameras while Shelton faced the press head on.  

"Blake didn't go home a winner but he did do rounds of press afterwards and [tweeted] this is a really good point in his life,” Meighan said. “Obviously a couple of months post-divorce, they are in very different places."

Stefani, 46, filed for divorce from musician Gavin Rossdale in August after 13 years of marriage. The couple are seeking joint custody of their three children.

Shelton announced he and Lambert were divorced after four years of marriage in July.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.