Josh Duhamel and Fergie, now separated but still co-parenting their 12-year-old son, Axl Jack Duhamel, have chosen not to blend their holidays and vacations. However, they do find common ground and continue to work together as co-parents. Their friendly exes, who separated in 2017 and divorced two years later, remain committed to making things work for their son.
Duhamel calls Fergie (born Stacy Ann Ferguson) "an amazing mom" and told Us Weekly in September, "We all have to work together to make sure that this thing works." In this equation, "we" also includes Duhamel's wife, Audra Mari, with whom he shares a son, Shepherd Lawrence Duhamel. The couple married in 2022.
Duhamel has praised his ex for making Mari feel welcome. He said on The Jess Cagle Show in 2023, "She's taken Audra in. And it could be much worse. You never know how these things are gonna go."
Despite the drama that surrounded their relationship before they split up, Duhamel and Fergie have maintained a united front throughout their eight-year marriage, despite the surplus of rumors.
Fergie has made it clear that she doesn't view their breakup as the end. She told People in September 2017, "We're great friends, we love each other so much. And it just got to the point where it was getting a little weird. There's no perfect time, so we just decided to do it."
For Axl, she added, "We just wanted to get adjusted in private." A month later on The Talk, she said, "Everything basically is staying the same, except we're not a romantic couple anymore. I love Josh. We're making it work."
The main thing for her was ensuring they didn't lose each other as parents. "We don't lose each other as parents," she said.
Duhamel has since attributed the breakdown of their marriage to their differing views of the world and Fergie's comfort in the spotlight compared to his own discomfort. He said on In Depth With Graham Bensinger in 2023, "I missed the simplicity of who I really am. I'm just not a guy who is comfortable doing red carpets, doing all the Hollywood stuff."
The Las Vegas alum eventually moved to Minnesota, telling E! News last year that since he grew up in the woods of North Dakota, "to now be able to pass that on to my kids out there is great." He explained to People that his day job was making movies and TV but that he was more of a guy who wanted to stay true to his roots and provide for his family through basic skills in this world of massive technology.
Meanwhile, Fergie remains rooted in her native Los Angeles. While they have to cover more miles sharing custody of their son, they go all out to make the most of their respective time with him. On Axl's 12th birthday on August 29th, the singer captioned an Instagram post, "I am so proud to see how independent you’re becoming and what a kind human you are. Discovering everything you’re into and watching you grow brings such joy... I feel so lucky to be your mom."
Duhamel took Axl and a couple of his friends to Legoland in California for the occasion, posting afterward, "Thank you for making these the best 12 years of my life, kid. I love you."
After his breakup with Fergie, Duhamel was candid about wanting to have more children and meeting someone who could make that dream a reality. However, he explained on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast in 2018, "It's not as if I am out there trying to just f**k anything. I want to find a girl that I can be with and have a family with." He recently reiterated on The Skinny Confidential that Fergie is "a great mom" and "very kind, very non-confrontational—thank God—so we have a good relationship."
As long as Axl is thriving, mission accomplished. As Duhamel and Fergie jointly stated when they broke up, "We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family."
