Why Josh Duhamel Says His Ego Affected His Marriage to Fergie

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Fergie’s fame had Josh Duhamel tripping and stumbling over himself for a bit of attention. 

It’s been almost a decade since singer Fergie and actor Josh Duhamel split after eight years of marriage, and Josh recently shared that adjusting to life as her partner initially presented some challenges.

Josh explained on The Megyn Kelly Show on March 25th that it was a significant change, as she was a very famous celebrity back then.

Josh, who has a 12-year-old son named Axl with Fergie and a 2-year-old son named Shepherd with Audra Mari, realized that much of the difficulty he associated with being married to Fergie was self-created.

I think I was more upset about it than she was, honestly,” Josh admitted. “It was probably more about my own pride than anything else.

He described marrying her, who was 50 at the time, as feeling overshadowed. He said, “It was suddenly, you’re in that shadow a lot of the times.”

Although Fergie and Josh Duhamel’s relationship didn’t last, he realized she’s actually a very down-to-earth person. Since their split in 2017, they’ve managed to build a good friendship.

We’re raising our son, Axl, together. My wife is a wonderful mother, and I’m very happily married to her, Audra. We’re expecting another child, a little girl, and what matters most to me is that our children have a great relationship with each other.

Fergie has shown she shares the excitement. When Josh and Audra revealed they were expecting their second child, the singer commented on their announcement, simply writing, “Welcome the cuteness.”

Oh my gosh, even right after they broke up, Fergie said it was SO hard to even talk about it! They were just so connected, you know? It was like they couldn’t believe it was happening, and it was really tough for her to publicly acknowledge the split because their connection was just that strong. It breaks my heart just thinking about it!

She told People magazine in 2017, soon after they announced their breakup, that they remained good friends. She explained that the relationship had become awkward, and they felt there wasn’t a good time to wait, so they decided to end it.

Even though they split up and officially divorced in 2019, Fergie shared that she and her ex still care deeply for each other.

For more friendly exes, keep reading… 

There’s absolutely no chance they’re getting back together. However, with all the recent public interactions – birthday celebrations, affectionate hugs, and even playfully acting out a romantic scene in a virtual reading of Fast Times at Ridgemont High – it feels like they’re just teasing everyone who still hopes for a reconciliation.

Sarah proved she’s confident and playful when she appeared on her ex-husband Jimmy’s talk show. She was there to promote her new series, I Love You, America, and playfully teased Jimmy about his wife, Molly Kimmel, describing her as “cute,” “bright,” and “funny.” Joking about the difference between them, Sarah quipped, “It’s not fair! She gets the updated, more aware Jimmy. I only got the Man Show Jimmy.”

 

Honestly, it seems like some people are still more affected by this relationship than those who were directly involved. When Anna—who is now married to Michael Barrett—found out Chris Pratt was marrying Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2019, she actually volunteered to perform the wedding ceremony. She even sent a gift when their daughter, Lyla, was born in August 2020. People close to Anna said she was very happy for her son, Jack, to have a little sister and was genuinely supportive of the new family.

Their breakup could have easily led to disaster, but four years later, these HGTV stars are thriving. They’re successfully co-parenting their children, Taylor and Brayden, and continuing to renovate dilapidated houses into beautiful homes for others.

Lenny Kravitz and his ex-wife, Zoë Kravitz’s mother, still feel incredibly close – he famously called them “best friends” in a 2013 interview with Oprah Winfrey. Despite their divorce and her subsequent marriage to and split from Jason Momoa, they maintain a strong family bond. Lenny describes it as a “one big happy family” and a testament to how positive relationships can evolve.

Since announcing their split in 2020, the Dancing With the Stars co-host and her former hockey player husband have consistently shown they remain friendly with each other.

When Brooks announced he was getting engaged to Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir in December 2024, Julianne shared her excitement online. She posted on Instagram, wishing the couple a lifetime of happiness, fun, and adventures as they start their new life together.

The dancer, her ex-husband, and his pregnant fiancée spent a day together at the lake. She shared a photo of the four of them, calling them “these three cuties” and describing it as a special day.

After splitting up in 2015, the parents of Violet, Seraphina, and Samuel have successfully co-parented, managing to take family vacations together, celebrate holidays as a unit, and publicly support each other. In a 2016 interview with TopMob News, Ben praised his ex-partner as “an amazing mother.”

Okay, so Nina and Ian… ugh, they broke up in 2013 after being together for three whole years, which was devastating, but somehow they stayed friends! Can you believe it? Then, in 2014, Ian started dating Nikki Reed – Nikki Reed! – and they got married so quickly! Of course, Nina ended up becoming friends with Nikki too. It’s just… a lot. I’ve been following everything since the beginning, and it’s still weird to me!

The couple broke up in July 2016 after being together for five years. The singer later shared on Howard Stern’s radio show in October that she remained very close to her ex, describing him as a long-time lover and friend.

“We love each other,” she said. “That’s it.”

Even years after The Office ended in 2013, the chemistry between its stars remained obvious, and Mindy Kaling understands why fans still root for them as a couple. In a 2019 interview with Good Housekeeping, she explained that while choosing him to be a godparent to her children, she’d feel the same way if she were an outside observer. However, she clarified that their relationship has evolved into something more akin to family than just a friendship.

After their divorce was finalized in 2011, the former couple easily continued to raise their son, Bronx. The Fall Out Boy singer has praised his ex-wife, calling her a fantastic mother.

It sounds like she’s moved on from her past relationship with the singer. He’s stated they’re currently on good terms and remain friendly, describing their connection as a positive one.

Jennifer and her Dexter co-star first connected on the set of the show in 2006, and their relationship became romantic two years later. Even after their divorce in 2011, Jennifer has said they remained friendly and respectful towards each other.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore are famously friendly exes, and their commitment to co-parenting daughters Rumer, Tallulah, and Scout is clear. It’s no surprise they decided to quarantine together in Idaho when the pandemic hit – maybe they even had a dance party or two!

Even four years after their 2014 divorce, Jennifer Lopez continued to praise her ex-husband, Marc Anthony, the father of her twins, Max and Emme. In a 2018 interview on Sunday Today, she shared that Marc had been instrumental in building her confidence. He consistently told her she was a talented singer and encouraged her not to let anyone diminish that, a sentiment she deeply valued given her high regard for his own vocal abilities, considering him one of the greatest singers ever.

Despite any personal struggles he might be facing, the actress will always support her ex-husband and former Scream co-star. Eight years after their 2010 divorce, she said on Running Wild With Bear Grylls that it was a surprisingly amicable split. They’ve successfully co-parented their daughter, Coco, and maintain a good relationship.

Although their relationship ended in 2007, they still had great chemistry on screen when they starred together in the 2011 film Bad Teacher.

Although their 2013 breakup was difficult at first, the actors have reached a point where they can vacation together as a group. The actor shared with LaPalme Magazine that he gets along well with his ex-wife’s husband, and praised him as a good person. He mentioned a 2017 trip to Cancun where they were joined by Garth, Dave Abrams, Peter’s fiancée Lily Anne Harrison, and their three daughters, Luca, Lola, and Fiona. He also reflected on his relationship with his ex-wife, Jennie, saying, “People enter your life for a reason, and relationships evolve. Just because you’re not living with someone doesn’t mean you can’t still care for them.”

Even though Will and I unexpectedly separated in September 2012, we made a conscious effort to appear supportive of each other for the sake of our children. In a 2014 interview with Howard Stern, I explained that we maintained a very close friendship and were successfully co-parenting. I don’t believe ending a ten-year marriage is necessarily a failure, as relationships can be incredibly challenging.

The Grammy-winning artist and her ex-husband, who officially divorced in January 2024, have stayed friendly and are successfully raising their son, Hayes. They even live only five minutes apart, making it easy to share parenting responsibilities.

“Our stops are really easy,” Maren told The Zoe Report in May 2025, “and we’ll have family dinners.”

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2026-03-26 15:48