Josh Duhamel Reveals What Led to His and Fergie’s Divorce

Josh Duhamel is opening up about the end of his eight-year marriage to Fergie and what prompted their 2017 split. The Buddy Games star, 50, revealed in an interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger that it was his and the Black Eyed Peas singer’s differing comfort with the Hollywood lifestyle that ultimately led to their breakup and 2019 divorce.

“We had a great time but I think we kind of outgrew each other and had very different interests,” he explained. “The older I get the more I wanted to come back here [to North Dakota] and this is not for her. But I’ve got no hard feelings for it. I truly don’t. I’m very lucky that she’s a kind human. I think we both agree that we’re very different people.” While Duhamel was increasingly drawn back to his home state, California-born Fergie was much more comfortable with life in the spotlight.

“I don’t think I ever really got comfortable with all of it,” the All My Children alum said. “It was just a lot. I just missed the simplicity of who I really am. I’m just not a guy who is comfortable going to red carpets, doing all the Hollywood stuff. I don’t hate it; I’m better at it now than I was, but it just took me a long time really feel like I fit in.”

Duhamel tied the knot with wife Audra Mari last year, and the two are currently expecting their first child together. “Hollywood, LA, and that whole lifestyle can suck the soul out of you if you’re not careful. I find myself sometimes when I’m there that I need to find a healthy outlet to get my hands dirty, to do something that gives me some kind of purpose,” he explained. “I’ve had a lot of success there. It’s afforded me a lot of things, I’m very grateful for that, but that doesn’t mean I have to live that lifestyle.”

Living in his home state allows Duhamel to feel more grounded than in California. “Having this place out here almost helps my career because I can get back to being who I really am,” he noted. “If I’m there and I get caught up in that world, you start to lose track of who you are and I don’t think I’ve ever done thank thankfully.” Meanwhile, Duhamel and Fergie “get along great” while co-parenting their 10-year-old son Axl. “We both had parents who got divorced who didn’t get along so great and didn’t want to do the same thing to our kid,” he said. “We knew whatever differences we had, to figure that out and be a positive example for Axl. Easier said than done, but we both had good examples of what not to do. We both wanted the same thing and that is to create an easy place for him that isn’t awkward or uncomfortable or pressure-filled.”