Blake Shelton Addresses Upset Fans Over Concert Ticket Refunds

Blake Shelton tried his best to quell tension among some upset fans on Wednesday (Aug. 12), after social media users posted about the difficulties they are having in obtaining refunds for concerts he was forced to cancel in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Shelton was slated to perform across the U.S. on his Friends & Heroes Tour in 2020, which featured Lauren Alaina, Trace Adkins and the Bellamy Brothers. The tour kicked off Feb. 13 in Portland, Ore., and played all the way through March 11 in Wichita, Kan., before Shelton announced that the rest of the dates would have to be rescheduled due to the pandemic.

The online discussion between Shelton and various disappointed fans began on Wednesday when a fan posted to Twitter, asking Shelton to formally cancel his concert that had been slated for Allstate Arena in Chicago on March 19 so they could get their money back:

That snowballed into posts from other fans, sharing that they, too, had encountered trouble in getting refunds. Shelton clarified over and over again that the problem lies in second-tier ticket sellers. The shows, he stated repeatedly, have been formally canceled, and there is no legitimate reason for any ticket seller to deny or delay a refund:

Shelton and his girlfriend, Gwen Stefani, have been quarantined together with her family on his ranch in Oklahoma, where they have been making a series of from-home TV appearances to promote their recent singles, "Nobody But You" and "Happy Anywhere." The couple also recently purchased their first home together, a lavish mansion in California.

LOOK: See Blake Shelton + Gwen Stefani's Stunning California Mansion