Josh Duhamel is one of many celebrities happy to be away from Hollywood life, something that he thinks affected his marriage to Fergie.
In a new interview on "In Depth with Graham Bensinger," Duhamel said he never really felt at ease in the world of fame.
"I don't think I ever really got comfortable with all of it. It was just a lot. I missed the simplicity of who I really am," Duhamel said. "I'm just not a guy who is comfortable doing red carpets, doing all the Hollywood stuff. I don't hate it, I'm better at it now than I was, but it just took me a long time to really feel like I belong, like I fit in."
He added, "You know Hollywood and L.A., that whole lifestyle can suck the soul out of you if you're not careful."
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Duhamel and Fergie were married from 2009 to 2019 and share one son together, Axl.
Reflecting on their marriage, the 50-year-old told Bensinger that he doesn’t have any regrets or negativity toward Fergie but realized they weren’t compatible in how they handled the spotlight.
"We had a great time, but I think we kind of just outgrew each other and had very different interests," he said. "The older I got, the more I wanted to come back here … [but] this is not for her. But I’ve got no hard feelings for it. I truly don’t."
He added, "I’m very lucky that she’s a kind human, I really am."
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Though they split, the "Las Vegas" star said he and the "Glamorous" singer are in a good place, focusing on co-parenting their 10-year-old.
"I made peace with that part of my life. She and I have a great relationship, we’re both raising that boy together," Duhamel said.
"We both had parents who got divorced who didn’t get along so great, and [we] didn’t want to do the same thing to our kid," he added.
The "Shotgun Wedding" star recalled stressful holidays with divorced parents and wanted to avoid the same stress for Axl.
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"I didn’t want to do all that. I think we both wanted the same thing, and that is to create a easy place for him that isn’t awkward or uncomfortable or pressure-filled," he said.
Duhamel has since moved to North Dakota and recently married former Miss World America Audra Mari. The couple is expecting their first child together.
"Now, I’ve had a lot of success there, it’s afforded me a lot of things, very grateful for that, but it doesn’t mean I have to live that lifestyle," Duhamel said of his decision to leave Los Angeles.
He continued, "Having this place out here almost helps my career because I can get back to being who I really am. If I’m there and I get caught up in that world, you start to lose track of who you are. And I don’t think I’ve ever done that, thankfully, but there’s been moments where I could have gone off the grid for sure."
"And that’s why Audra’s so great for me. We’re both hard-core North Dakotans who love it here, who love the people here, who have family here. We both love lake life, we both love family, we both love kids."
