Josh Duhamel Shares Reason Coparenting With Fergie Works So Well
Josh Duhamel's transformation for his latest movie taught him a lot about parenting.
The Transformers actor—who shares son Axl, 12, with his ex-wife Fergie, as well as son Shepherd, 20 months, with wife Audra Mari—shared that after playing a troubled father in his new film, London Calling, he's taken home a valuable lesson.
“It was fun to look at some of the things that I could even do better as a dad,” Josh, 52, told Us Weekly in an article published Sept. 17. “I work a lot, and I often have a lot of guilt about not being there as often as I could be."
However, he shared that he’s grateful to be raising Shepherd with his wife and co-parenting Axl with the Black Eyed Peas alum, calling his ex “an amazing mom.”
As he put it, “We all have to work together to make sure that this thing works.”
Ultimately, despite his partnership with both Fergie and his wife when it comes to raising his boys, playing his current role has helped him to learn that “there’s a lot of things I’m good at and there’s a lot of things I need to work on."
Josh has previously spoken about the positives of co-parenting with Fergie—from whom he split in 2017 before their 2019 divorce—including how she's treated Audra, who he married in 2022.
"Fergie is an amazing woman. She really is," Josh said on an episode of SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show in September 2023. "And she's taken Audra in. And it could be much worse. That's the thing is you never know how these things are gonna go."
Noting that Fergie sent them well wishes ahead of Shepherd’s birth, he added, "She's such a kindhearted person—she really, truly is. She only has love for Audra and I can't believe how excited she is for us."
For a look back on some of Josh's best dad moments, keep reading.
Josh Duhamel and son Axl attended the partnership celebration between TOMS and Oceana to help save the sea turtles on March 24, 2016 at Au Fudge in West Hollywood, California.
On July 22, the proud papa took his son to the North Dakota state fair and wrote, "ND STATE FAIR See you tonight!!!"
"Congrats to UND Hockey Team for making the Frozen Four!!!!," wrote Josh on March 26, 2016.
On April 28, 2017, the hands on dad wrote, "Reading books aloud with children during preschool years leads to higher reading achievement in kindergarten and elementary school, as well as greater enthusiasm for reading and learning throughout school. Join Jumpstart in promoting reading during Week of the Young Child by sharing your favorite #FBF reading memory TODAY. Don’t forget to tag @jumpstartkids1 and use hashtags #readconnectsucceed & #woyc17."
Josh posted a photo hanging out with baby Axl on Fergie's music video set back in 2014.
Josh posted this family photo on the couple's 8th anniversary earlier in 2017.
On Halloween 2016, the doting dad wrote, "Had an Incredible Halloween with these jokers!"
On Halloween 2015, Josh wrote, "Trick or Treat?!"
Josh posted the Instagram photo on Dec. 24, 2015 with the caption, "Look, it's Santa!"
On April 17, 2016, the actor wrote, "My son thinks I can actually fly an F16. Let's just go with that for a while..."
Josh wrote on Dec. 21, 2014, "Mom thinks I'm rooting for the Dolphins. Let's let her keep thinking that...#SkolVikings."
The family posed at Axl's cousin Jagger's birthday party a few years ago.
Josh posted this photo of his smiley little guy back in the day.
The day before his birthday in 2014, Josh wrote, "He's picking out my birthday gift."
When Axl was a newborn, the actor cradled his son back in October 2013.
Josh takes baby Axl out for a walk in a banana-themed, Wahol-inspired stroller back in 2013.
When Axl was just a few months old, Josh wrote, "Gonna catch some football with my little guy today." The image was shared on Oct. 6, 2013.
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