Shania Twain + Frederic Thiebaud — Country Love Stories

Shania Twain and Frederic Thiebaud’s love story is one of redemption — something beautiful out of pain and heartbreak — and their marriage is one that will inspire hope in even the darkest of situations. Their love and respect for one another shines and makes us believe a little more in the power of love.

As many country fans know, Twain and Thiebaud knew one another long before their engagement: Thiebaud was married to Twain’s best friend, and after 14 years of marriage, the country star found out that her then-husband, Robert John “Mutt” Lange, was having an affair with said friend. That realization led to the dissolution of both Twain and Thiebaud’s marriages.

“When that happened, I thought, ‘Forget it, this is more than I can handle — I’m never going to sing again,'” Twain tells the NY Post.

It was Thiebaud who broke the news of the affair to Twain. And though she was in disbelief, there was lots of evidence.

“I didn’t want to love again — it was the last thing on my mind,” the singer tells People. “It’s just amazing how life works.”

But, fate had other plans — grand plans. Twain and Thiebaud bonded through their pain; in 2009, she called him “a dear friend and a true gentleman” on her website. And though Twain ”rejected it initially,” she fell in love with her now-husband.

“I couldn’t control Fred’s love for me and how easy he is to love,” she says. He adds, “I’m more in love with her every day.”

The couple announced their engagement in December of 2010. The singer wrote about their relationship, saying, “Frederic Nicolas Thiebaud has been a true gift to me as a compassionate, understanding friend and over time, an amazing love has blossomed from this precious friendship.”

The happy pair married on Jan. 1, 2011, in Rincon, Puerto Rico; the festivities were intimate, with approximately 40 friends and family members present.

“My closest friends and family say they haven’t seen me this free-spirited and happy in years,” Twain says. “And it’s true. It’s definitely true.”

Twain isn’t afraid to wax poetic about her husband — she does it gladly. The “That Don’t Impress Me Much” singer is certainly head-over-heels for him.

“Fred is not only nice, he’s incredible,” Twain gushes. “He’s attentive, brighter than God should ever allow any one man to be, funny, romantic and cute as heck. Most of all, he shows what he feels, and that’s a quality that could come in any shape or size and be admired — it just so happens that Fred has a very gorgeous shape. He’s too good to be true, only he’s real! Good for me, is all I can say, and I’m loving every minute of it.”

The Grammy Awards-winning singer admits that she and her husband “stare at each other a lot” and have pet names for one another: Twain is “Sunshy” (short for “Sunshine”), her handsome husband? “‘Beauty Man,’ because he’s so darn beautiful!”