In 2017, actor Josh Duhamel and pop star Fergie announced that "with absolute love and respect [they] decided to separate as a couple." Now, six years later, Duhamel has shared more specifics about why their marriage came to an end. In an interview with In Depth with Graham Bensinger, the 50-year-old star explained why he and Fergie grew apart, how they raise their 10-year-old son Axl as co-parents, and the role their own parents played in how they approached their divorce.
Read on to see what Duhamel had to share about the breakup, as well as what Fergie has said on the subject.
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Duhamel and Fergie split up after eight years of marriage.
Featureflash Photo Agency / ShutterstockIn September 2017, Duhamel and Fergie announced that they were separated and had actually decided to split up months before.
"With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year," they said in a joint statement to People. "To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public. We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family."
The Las Vegas star and Black Eyed Peas singer married in January 2009 after starting to date in 2004. They welcomed their son in 2013, and their divorce was finalized in 2019.
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Duhamel says he and Fergie have "very different interests."
In an Oct. 4 interview with In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Duhamel said of Fergie, "Great girl. Great girl. But, you know, I think we both agree that we're just very different. We made an awesome kid. We get along great, and we get to raise him without any acrimony."
He continued, "I've made peace with that part of my life. She and I have a great relationship. 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 talked about spending more time in his home state of North Dakota. "The older I got the more I wanted to come back here… and this is not for her," he said. "But I've got no hard feelings for it, I truly don't. I'm very lucky that she's a kind human, I really am."
The Win a Date With Tad Hamilton star is now married to former Miss World America Audra Mari, who is also from North Dakota. "We’re both hardcore North Dakotans," he explained of their connection.
He also wasn't comfortable with Hollywood life.
DFree / ShutterstockDuhamel's relationship with Fergie put him more solidly in the celebrity spotlight, which is something he says he was never totally comfortable with.
"It was just a lot," he said on the show. "I missed the simplicity of who I really am. I'm just not a guy who is comfortable going to red carpets, doing all of the Hollywood stuff. 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 … You know Hollywood and L.A. and that whole lifestyle can suck the life out of you if you're not careful."
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He and Fergie are raising Axl together.
Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Pandora Media IncDuhamel shared that he and Fergie made creating a peaceful environment for Axl their priority when they broke up.
"We both had parents who got divorced, who didn't get along so great, and we didn't want to go the same thing to our kid," he said in the interview. "We knew that whatever differences we may have had, we had to figure that out, and be a positive example for Axl."
The Shotgun Wedding star added, "We both had good examples of what not to do. As much as I love my parents, it's like, do you know how [expletive] Christmas was most of the time, because you guys are fighting over where we were at what time and how much pressure we felt to make sure we weren’t late to mom's or weren't late to dad's? I didn’t want to do all that. 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."
A source said "they wanted different things."
s_bukley / ShutterstockIn 2017, People reported that a source said that Fergie and Duhamel had separated because of their differing interests and personalities, similar to what Duhamel shared in his new interview.
"People close to them won’t be surprised that this ended," the source said. "A big factor is how different Fergie and Josh are. In the beginning, it was what attracted them to each other and made them so fun to be around." The anonymous insider said that Fergie is "fun and outgoing" and that Duhamel is "charming and relaxed." They went on to say that "they come from totally different backgrounds and they wanted different things" and that their lives "were heading in two separate directions and [they] are often apart because of work."
Fergie said that she still loved Duhamel.
Jaguar PS / ShutterstockIn October 2017, Fergie addressed her separation on The Wendy Williams Show. "It wasn’t my plan. I wanted to stay married forever," the "London Bridge" singer said. "I love Josh. He’s the father of my child," she added while tearing up. "We forever have that project together, and we’re doing the best we can."
The following year, Fergie spoke to Entertainment Tonight about co-parenting with her ex. "We split it up really balanced," she said. "We're all love and we love each other. We're all cool and just a family. I have a good co-parenting partner, so we work it out."
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