Josh Duhamel has spoken candidly about his split from Fergie after eight years of marriage.
The two officially parted ways in September 2017. Now, the 50-year-old Shotgun Wedding star is opening up about why their love had an impending expiration date. In discussion with Graham Bensinger for his television show In Depth, the actor admitted he’d wanted the powerhouse singer to assume a different version of herself, and she wanted the same for him.
Bensinger asked whether Duhamel believed his marriage taught him the importance of accepting someone for who they are rather than attempting to change them for selfish reasons. “I’d say that’s probably true, and she probably could say the same thing about me,” he replied.
The Safe Haven actor continued: “You know I think we both agree that we’re just very different. And we made an awesome kid. We get along great, and we get to raise him without any acrimony.”
The famed pair welcomed their son Axl in 2013, waiting four years after they said “I Do” to expand their family. And while parenting the 10 year old has been nothing but a blessing, maintaining a healthy relationship in the spotlight wasn’t easy for Duhamel, who met his first wife on the set of his show Las Vegas.
“I don’t think I ever really got comfortable with it,” he confessed. “It was just a lot. I missed the simplicity of who I really am. I’m just not a guy who is comfortable doing red carpets, doing all the Hollywood stuff.”
The level of fame that being with Fergie – born Stacy Ann Ferguson – brought upon him didn’t sit well with the Life As We Know It lead. “I don’t hate it, I’m better at it now, but it just took me a long time to really feel like I belong, like I fit in,” he remarked.
“You know Hollywood and LA, that whole lifestyle can suck the life out of you if you’re not careful,” Duhamel went on to say.
Regardless of the struggles endured during his time partnered with the Black Eyed Peas vocalist, Duhamel is thankful for the experience and fond memories that’ve come out of it. He said he’s not looking back with regret but looking forward with an air of contentment.
“I’ve made peace with that part of my life. She and I have a great relationship,” he noted. “We’re both raising that boy together. And there wasn’t anything wrong with it. We actually had a great time, but I think we just kind of outgrew each other, and had very different interests.”
Duhamel considers the “Pump It” artist to be a “kind human” who’s made co-parenting easy despite their separation. Because the two of them come from families with parents who divorced at some point and didn’t end on amicable terms, the pair agreed their situation would be different.
“We didn’t want to go the same thing to our kid. I think that we both just wanted the same thing, and that is to create an easy place for him that isn’t awkward, or uncomfortable or pressure-filled,” Duhamel added.
Duhamel has retired to North Dakota, residing with his second wife Audra Mari. The pair wed in September 2022 following three years together. Now, Duhamel and former Miss World America are expecting their first child together, making Ax a big brother.
