'I was in her shadow'

Josh Duhamel Lifts Lid on Life With Ex-Wife Fergie

Josh Duhamel finally opens up about marriage to Fergie, admitting fame tested their relationship but insisting ego clashes gave way to calmer co-parenting and unexpected mutual respect.
PUBLISHED26 Mar 2026 18:49 GMT UPDATED26 Mar 2026 19:09 GMT

Key Points

  • Duhamel says adjusting to Fergie's superstar status challenged his ego.
  • They married in 2009, welcomed son Axl in 2013, and finalized their 2019 divorce.
  • Now co-parent amicably; Duhamel, wife Audra Mari, and growing blended family expect another baby.

JOSH Duhamel is getting brutally honest about what it was really like being married to global pop powerhouse Fergie — and it sounds like fame came with a side of ego checks.

Speaking on The Megyn Kelly Show, the Transformers star admitted their relationship wasn’t always easy to navigate, especially with Fergie dominating the spotlight at the time.

“It was a huge shift,” he confessed. “She was a massive star — and yeah, that took some adjusting on my part.”

Translation? Living in the orbit of one of the world’s biggest pop icons isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

The pair first crossed paths back in 2004 when Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas made a cameo on his show Las Vegas. Fast-forward: engagement in 2007, wedding bells in 2009, and baby Axl Jack Duhamel arriving in 2013.

But by 2017, the fairytale cracked — and their divorce was finalised in 2019.

And here’s where it gets juicy…

When asked if there was ever a battle of the egos, Duhamel didn’t dodge it.

“Probably more my ego than hers,” he admitted. “She was this huge star, and yeah — you feel like you’re in that shadow sometimes.”

Ouch.

Still, don’t expect any messy Hollywood fallout. In fact, it’s the opposite.

Duhamel insists things are now surprisingly harmonious — not just with Fergie, but across the whole blended family setup. His current wife, Audra Mari, whom he married in 2022, reportedly gets along with his ex, and everyone’s playing nice.

“We’ve got a great relationship,” he said. “She’s a great mum. I’m happily married, we’ve got a beautiful son and another baby on the way — I just want peace.”

Yes, really — peace.

Duhamel and Mari share son Shepherd Lawrence Duhamel (born 2024), and recently revealed they’re expecting again — meaning this modern Hollywood family is only getting bigger.

And despite the past drama, it seems the real headline here is… no drama at all.

“It could have been ugly,” Duhamel admitted. “But thankfully, it’s not.”

Why This Matters

Duhamel’s candid reflections matter because they humanize the strains fame can place on marriages, model amicable co-parenting after high-profile splits, and show how honesty and compromise can help rebuild family stability despite public scrutiny.

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