Josh Duhamel Gives Insight Into Coparenting Relationship with Ex Fergie

On April 10, the Transformers alum sat down with Parade and made a comment about his ex-wife, Fergie. He said the two, who share 11-year-old son Axl, currently have “very little conflict” between them as coparents.

The former couple were married for 8 years before getting divorced in 2019. Since their split, Duhamel has moved on with his current partner, Audra Mari, with whom he shares his 15-month-old son, Shepherd.

Per Parade, Duhamel also called himself a “work in progress” while “[admitting] to learning a lot about himself and relationships following his 2019 divorce.”

In 2023 appearance on the In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast, the actor gave a little more insight into their split — saying “all the Hollywood stuff” played a factor in the breakup.

“I don’t think I ever really got comfortable with all of it,” said Duhamel, referencing the fame that came with being married to Fergie, 50. “I just missed the simplicity of who I really am, you know?” he continued.

“I’m just not a guy who is comfortable going to red carpets,” added the Shotgun Wedding star. “Doing all the Hollywood stuff.”

St the time, Duhamel noted that he and Fergie “have a great relationship.”

“I’ve got no hard feelings for it,” he added. “I truly don’t. I’m very lucky that she’s a kind human.”

“There wasn’t anything wrong with it [our marriage],” he explained. “We had a great time. I think we kind of outgrew each other and had very different interests. I made peace with that part of my life.”

When speaking to Parade, he also shared the importance of family — and explained why he moved them to the Midwest.

“Part of the reason I built my place out in Minnesota, deep in the woods, is it’s removed from everything,” he explained. “The closest store is 40 miles away. Once we get there, it’s really about everybody taking care of each other — making memories, spending time with family and friends. You really get a chance to get back to the basics. You’re not consumed by all these other distractions. When you’re out there, it’s really about having fun, making sure everybody’s warm, everybody’s got food and water.”

Living in a more isolated environment has made him look forward to creating new memories for his sons.

“My son is going to have memories of this place forever,” he said. “He’s not on his iPad when he’s out there. He’s out there in the boat with me, or he’s playing soccer on the beach, or he’s out there in the woods doing whatever I’m doing. And then I have a little baby who’s going to experience the same thing.”

“Someday, I hope to pass this on to them [so] they’re able to share it with their kids,” he added. “It’s really important to me that they have this. It’s not just about having all the amenities and all the luxuries that we become so used to. It’s really about family. It’s about legacy.”

The 52-year-old actor has shared appreciation for being away from Hollywood and finding his place of serenity.

“It really got me back in touch,” he says of making his off-the-grid dream a reality. “There’s something about it that fulfills the soul in a lot of ways.”

See more from his interview with Parade here.