Josh Duhamel is an actor and model most known for his role as Major William in the Transformers franchise. Before his major blockbuster film, Duhamel first appeared on television as a model in Christina Aguilera’s 1999 song, “Genie In A Bottle,” before joining All My Children as Leo Du Pres. He then starred in big productions like The Transformers, Shotgun Wedding and Safe Haven.
With a successful acting career, Duhamel caught the attention of Black Eyed Peas singer Stacey Ferguson, aka Fergie. The duo met in 2004 and married in 2009 in Malibu, California. However, life in the public eye wasn’t easy for Duhamel, and that, along with other controversial issues, led to the end of their marriage. Duhamel has since moved on with former Miss World America Audra Mari. Many fans are curious about the Hollywood star’s current life, so here is everything about Josh Duhamel’s family.
10 Josh Duhamel’s Early Family Life
Josh Duhamel was born to a Catholic family in Minot, North Dakota. His father, Larry Duhamel, worked as an advertising salesman, while his mother, Bonnie Kemper, worked as a teacher. Duhamel spent most of his young life in North Dakota, attending Minot High School and Minot University, where he played quarterback.
Duhamel’s parents divorced when he was young, leading to him and his sisters living with their mother. Duhamel has three younger sisters, Kassidy, Ashlee, and Mckenzee Duhamel, with whom he is very close. Their parents’ separation affected him immensely despite still being close to both of them today. It is one of the reasons he works hard to respectfully co-parent with his ex-wife, Fergie.
9 Josh Duhamel And Fergie’s Romance Had Everyone’s Attention For Years
After Josh Duhamel’s role in All My Children, he moved on to the NBC series Las Vegas to play the role of Danny McCoy. He’d been dating Kristy Pierce from 2001 to 2004 but ended things shortly after he proposed. Coincidentally, The Black Eyed Peas made a guest appearance on his show and he took his chance to approach the band’s singer, Fergie. The actor revealed he was nervous when first meeting the pop star after they finished their rehearsals for the show. All he could say at that moment was, “You’re hot!”
After the meeting, the two developed a close relationship and dated until their engagement in 2007. While dating, Fergie and Duhamel graced red carpets and other high-profile events heavily covered by the media. By the time they married in January 2009, their relationship was the talk of the town.
8 Josh Duhamel Was Accused of Cheating On Fergie Months Into Their Marriage
After the pair tied the knot, they became even more popular in the press. Josh Duhamel had just starred in the first Transformers film and was appearing in the 2009 sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. After a few months of marriage, a pole dancer claimed she slept with the actor.
However, Duhamel’s reps denied the allegations, terming them ridiculous. Despite more women reporting to Us Weekly that they had been intimate with Duhamel, the couple stood by each other. Fergie and Duhamel renewed their vows in January 2010.
7 Josh Duhamel’s Family Includes A Son With Fergie
In 2013, Josh Duhamel and Fergie welcomed their son Axl Jack Duhamel. Fergie was excited when asked if Josh was ready to be a father that year. She said, “He wanted to knock me up from our first date. He’s ready.” Josh often shares photos spending time with his 10-year-old son in his North Dakota lake house.
6 The Real Reason Josh Duhamel And Fergie Separated
Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split in 2017 after eight years of marriage before finalizing their divorce in 2019. The former power couple’s relationship had strained after years in the public eye. Their busy schedules also robbed them of family time, and they grew apart. While on the In Depth with Graham Bensinger podcast, Duhamel said his marriage with Fergie was good, but they developed different interests.
In addition, the Netflix star couldn’t handle the media always being involved in their relationship. “I don’t think I ever got comfortable with all of it. 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. Hollywood and L.A. and that whole lifestyle can suck the soul out of you if you’re not careful.”
5 Josh Duhamel’s Family Grew When He And Audra Mari Began Dating Shortly After His Divorce
Josh Duhamel, 50, and Audra Mari, 29, first sparked relationship rumors after they were spotted kissing at Toronto International Airport in 2019. Mari had visited Duhamel while he was filming the Netflix series Jupiter’s Legacy, which was canceled after one season. When Duhamel and Mari went public with their relationship, they caused a commotion because of their age difference.
The two married in 2022 at his North Dakota home, surrounded by family and friends. While doing press for his movie, Bandit Duhamel said Mari was the perfect girl. “She’s an amazing girl. She keeps me grounded. She keeps it real. We’re from the same home state and love lake life. We spend a lot of time on the lake together.”
4 Josh Duhamel Says He Wants More Kids With Audra Mari
The When in Rome star said it all came down to their similar personalities when asked about his relationship with the pageant winner. According to the Shotgun Wedding star, the fact that Mari is from North Dakota improved their relationship in many ways. Another big factor would be because she’s young.
In 2018, Josh Duhamel told Dax Shepherd on his Armchair Expert podcast what he’s looking for in a woman. “I’m not 30 years old anymore. I’m 45. I want to have more kids in the next few years. So it’s more about finding someone young enough to have kids.” Fortunately, Josh and his wife announced in September 2023 they were expecting a baby. In a joint Instagram post, the duo wrote, “Baby Duhamel coming soon.” with a white heart emoji.
The Safe Haven actor has been quoted in several interviews talking about his love for being a father and how it brings him great joy. Duhamel told E! News, “Anybody who has kids, I think, would agree that, to me, is the best part of it. Watching from, like, the time they’re born all the way through. And they just keep getting more and more interesting.”
3 Fergie Weighs In On Josh Duhamel’s Family Life And Audra Mari’s Relationship
Fergie has shown her support for her ex and his wife as they prepare to bring a new life into the world. On their baby post, the Grammy Award winner wrote, “I’m truly happy for you guys. Axl can’t wait to be a big brother.” When Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari began dating, he took some time before introducing her to his son because he was overprotective. Eventually, they met, and Audra and Axl got to know each other before she married his father.
2 Inside Fergie’s Relationship With Josh Duhamel’s Wife
Fergie and Audra Mari have a unique relationship, considering the latter married her ex-husband. Duhamel revealed Fergie has nothing but love for his new partner. During an episode of SirirusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show, he said, “She’s taken Audra in. It would be so much worse. That’s the thing: you never know how these things are going to go. Because she’s such a kind-hearted person, she really, truly is. I can’t believe how excited she is for us. It could be a lot worse. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. And thankfully, we have a really civil situation.”
1 Josh Duhamel Speaks On His Blended Family
Josh Duhamel and Fergie have managed to find common ground despite their past relationship. He told TODAY they both had to put aside their feelings for the sake of their son, Axl. “She’s a really good mom to Axl, and we just have a good working relationship as far as raising our son together. I’m actually really, really lucky because I’ve seen cases that aren’t like that.”
Fergie and Josh co-parent successfully, as Axl spends much of his time with his father. With a baby on the way, and Duhamel’s love for being a father, his family is sure to keep on growing in coming years.
Source: NewsFinale
