Highlights
- Fergie and Josh Duhamel grew apart over time and had different lifestyles, causing compatibility issues in their marriage.
- Josh desired a big family while Fergie didn't prioritize it, leading to further complications in their relationship.
- Allegations of infidelity and mistrust created tension between the couple, ultimately contributing to their divorce. Despite this, they still care for each other and maintain a healthy co-parenting relationship.
In 2009, Fergie and Josh Duhamel tied the knot after two years of dating. But in 2017, after eight years of what seemed like a perfect marriage, they released a joint statement announcing their divorce. No intense custody battles. No bad blood. Just a mutual decision to part ways which left many fans clueless as to what went wrong.
The divorce was finalized in 2019. And as much as the ex-couple tried to keep the whole thing private, certain details about what led to their split have recently come to light. Here are the main issues that ended Fergie and Josh's marriage.
Fergie And Josh Duhamel Just Grew Apart
In 2017, an anonymous source revealed that Fergie and Josh simply weren't as close as they were before. "They completely grew apart. This was a long time coming and they've been trying to sort everything out this past year," the source said. It was hinted on some occasions that their work schedules caused them to grow apart.
At first, the couple had a working strategy. They had a two-week rule where they weren't allowed to spend more than two weeks apart. But sources said that it got to a point where their schedules got out of hand. Sources also mentioned that the two didn't have anything in common at all.
According to them, Josh is "very down to earth" while Fergie is "in a totally different world." Although the comparison sounds a bit shady towards the Black Eyed Peas' former singer, the two truly have clashing lifestyles. There's bound to be friction in combining a hectic movie career with the unpredictable demands of being a pop star.
Fergie And Josh Duhamel Have Different Views On Family
Josh, being the eldest of four siblings, has always wanted a big family. Meanwhile, that wasn't exactly Fergie's priority. Fergie comes from divorced parents and a less-than-normal childhood, while Josh has more traditional domestic family ideals, and according to sources, this led to compatibility issues for the couple. The Life As We Know It actor was frustrated that the "Glamorous" singer wasn't doing more "normal mom activities."
The two are currently doing a great job at co-parenting, though. Thanks to their amicable split, they were able to maintain a healthy relationship and mutual respect for each other. The 45-year-old actor also hasn't given up on expanding his family. "I’m not 30 years old anymore. I’m 45. I want to have more kids in the next few years," Josh told Dax Sheperd on his podcast, Armchair Expert in 2018.
"It’s more about finding someone young enough to have kids. It’s not as if I’m out there trying to just [expletive] anything. That’s not who I am. I’m trying to find a girl that I can be with and have a family with." Tabloids tried to imply that Fergie was jealous of Josh's new romantic interests, but the exes are actually at peace with their decisions and present co-parenting arrangements.
Josh Duhamel Allegedly Slept With Someone Else
In 2009, just months after their wedding, reports broke out that Josh Duhamel had allegedly slept with a dancer from a boys' night out at a strip club. This was said to have happened while he was filming Life As We Know It in Atlanta.
Fergie denied the rumors, but the dancer reportedly sold the story for $20,000 and passed a polygraph test. Three years later, Fergie admitted to going "through difficult times" that made her and Josh "stronger as a unit." Josh has also echoed these sentiments.
Fergie Reportedly Sent Spies To Watch Josh Duhamel
As it turned out, the couple didn't quite recover from the incident. An insider claimed that Fergie sent spies to watch Josh at an event in Beverly Hills in 2016. The spies reportedly told Fergie that Josh was flirting with many women. But when she confronted him about it, the When in Rome actor just denied the allegations.
Fergie was also said to have made many unannounced visits on the set of Josh's movie with Olivia Munn, Buddy Games. She wanted to keep a close eye on him. According to another insider, Fergie decided to call it quits when Josh remained flirty with women and kept acting like he was single.
Fergie Said She And Josh Duhamel Still Love Each Other, But Not Romantically
"We're great friends, Josh and I, there's so much love that we have for each other," Fergie told Entertainment Tonight in 2017, not long after announcing her divorce with Josh. "We really like each other, we have fun with each other. We're just not a romantic couple anymore."
The two still consider each other family. They were together for 13 years, after all. And most importantly, they both want to raise their son with love.
Josh Duhamel Married Audra Mari, But Fergie Still Single
With Fergie and Josh Duhamel divorced, both are free to move on to other relationships. They maintain a very civil relationship, especially when it comes to co-parenting their son Axl, and want nothing but the best for each other.
While Fergie has remained single since her divorce from Duhamel, the actor has found love for a second time with model Audra Mari. Josh Duhamel officially tied the knot with model Audra Mari last year. Their wedding took place in September 2022 after they got engaged earlier that year.
Some fans speculated if Fergie was aware of Duhamel's plans to propose. Fergie was, in fact, fully in the know in regard to Duhamel and Mari's plans to get married. She actually thinks that Duhamel and Mari make an adorable couple and is glad for her son Axl to have the opportunity to get close with Mari.
Fergie wants nothing but happiness for her ex-husband, including his plans to have more children in the future. Duhamel and Fergie paint a beautiful example for how exes should handle their relationship post-divorce.
As far as the public knows, Fergie has not dated anyone new since her divorce from Josh Duhamel, but based on her happy reaction to his engagement, it does not seem like she is harboring any resentment or unresolved feelings towards her ex-husband.