Fergie and Josh Duhamel Were Just Too Different to Stay Married

While it's expected that Hollywood romance is like anything produced in the glittering city on the West Coast, designed for a limited time in the sun, people can't help but hope that some of their favorite duos stand the test of time and outlast the odds.

When Stacy Ann "Fergie" Ferguson and Josh Duhamel announced their engagement in 2007, this was certainly the case for fans, who felt that they were perfect for one another.

And for awhile, it seemed like they were. But like so many wonderful things, it eventually came to an end and the two did ultimately decide to divorce. Here's what we know about why they decided to split.

Fergie may have written "Big Girls Don't Cry," but it's hard to imagine that it didn't hurt when her relationship with Josh was over in 2017 when the two separated.

But before there was disharmony, there was love.

According to People, the pair met in 2004 while Fergie's music group, the Black-Eyed Peas, was filming a cameo in Las Vegas. They were engaged in 2007 and tied the knot in 2009.

The outlet notes that they welcomed their one and only son, Axl, in 2013.

From the outside, they seemed like a loving and devoted couple. But infidelity rumors began to haunt them all the way back in 2009.

While they did go on to renew their vows and welcome a son together, it would seem that things never clicked back into place for them. In a 2024 interview with In Depth with Graham Bensinger, Josh explained that while they get along and he has affection for Fergie, "we're just very different." He added, "I've got no hard feelings."

It's hard to say whether rumors of Josh's infidelity played into the split, but they seem to have parted amicably due to different expectations for their future.

Nonetheless, while the pair may have had different visions of their future, they share at least one thing in common: their son, Axl. Josh shares another son, Shepherd, with his current wife, Audra Mari, but his role as a father all started alongside Fergie.

Josh said in a 2023 interview with Fatherly that Axl has brought immeasurable joy to his life, and he immediately clicked with his step-mom. He shared, "We’ll play catch in the backyard. We made [my wife] a giant birthday card. He loves art. He’s 9, but his imagination is still huge. He and I are like a couple of bachelors. And then she comes around, and she brings so much structure to the house."

And for her part, Fergie seems to adore her son. When celebrating his 10th birthday in 2023, she posted on Instagram a photo collage of the two of them together, including in the caption for the photos, "I’ll always be your biggest cheerleader for anything you want to do in life."

It may be difficult to navigate post-divorce co-parenting, but a happy Axl is a testament to both Fergie and Josh's ability to do exactly that.