During these dark and perilous times of what seems to be an abundant of Hollywood couple divorces, this year alone we’ve seen Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez, Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello, and of course Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas, plus many more, decide to go their separate ways for various reasons.
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So, it seems about right for one half of a former Hollywood “it” couple to dredge up the past and reminisce about how in their particular case, it was the spotlight that contributed to their ultimate demise.
During a recent appearance on In Depth With Graham Bensinger, Josh Duhamel, formerly married to Fergie, discussed being “grateful” for his Hollywood success, however confessed that his time in the spotlight during his marriage to Fergie was “a lot” to handle.
Mentioning that Josh’s sister had the following to say about what he’d learned from his relationship with Fergie, Graham said, “you can’t expect somebody to be who you need them to be, you need to accept them for who they are.”
Admitting that to be “probably true,” Josh added, “and she probably could say the same thing about me.”
"You know I think we both agree that we're just very different," he continued. ”And we made an awesome kid. We get along great, and we get to raise him without any acrimony."
“I don't think I ever really got comfortable with all of it,” Duhamel went on to say of the fame that came from being with Fergie, “I just missed the simplicity of who I really am, you know?”
After being married for eight years, their difference became too apparent to ignore, leading Duhamel and Fergie to split in September 2017.
“I'm just not a guy who is comfortable going to red carpets. Doing all the Hollywood stuff,” Duhamel shared. Noting that he, North Dakota native, and Fergie, born and raised in Southern California, also didn’t see eye to eye on their forever home.
“I made peace with that part of my life. She and I have a great relationship,” he explained of where the former couple currently stand. “There wasn’t anything wrong with it. We had a great time. I think we kind of outgrew each other and had very different interests.”
These days, Josh has accepted Hollywood for what it really is, and has found not only a second love with Audra Mari, who he’s expecting a baby with, but has also found balance within his career by moving to the Midwest.
“It just took me a long time to really feel like I belong, like I fit in,” Duhamel said of Los Angeles, sharing that his move to North Dakota has been good for his soul. “Having this place out here, really allows me to get back to that kid that fell in love with nature. Fell in love with the outdoors and being creative and just being active.”
The choice to live a simpler lifestyle is also how he views his his co-parenting relationship with Fergie. Keeping complications out of it, together they aim to “be a positive example for Axl.”
“We just both wanted the same thing, Josh said, “and that is to create an easy place for him that isn’t awkward, or uncomfortable or pressure filled.”
Watch a clip of Josh’s interview with Graham above, and check back here for the full episode In Depth With Graham Bensinger when it drops this weekend.