Josh Duhamel feared his wife Audra Mari was ‘too young’ for him because of their 21-year age gap.
The Transformers star, 53, married the former beauty queen, 32, in 2022 and they are parents to two-year-old Shepherd, while Duhamel is also dad to Axl, 12, with ex-wife Fergie, 50.
During an appearance on The Skinny Confidential podcast he revealed he invited Mari to a barbecue at his house but initially ruled out dating her because of her age.
‘She and I had been in contact because I knew she was from North Dakota, she’d done really, really well in Miss USA [beauty pageant]. I wasn’t even inviting her because I wanted to date her, because she was too young for me, to be honest,’ he detailed.
‘I wasn’t looking for [that]. I’m not going to be that dude. So I invited her and she comes to the door and I’m like: ‘Holy s***. [She’s] so beautiful.’
Duhamel was won over by Mari after seeing the way she interacted with the children at the barbecue, as he recalled she came across as ‘really wholesome’ and reminded him of ‘home.’
Josh Duhamel feared his wife Audra Mari was ‘too young’ for him because of their 21-year age gap
During an appearance on The Skinny Confidential podcast he revealed he invited Mari to a barbecue at his house but initially ruled out dating her because of her age; pictured in 2023
‘I remember her taking care of these kids at the party, making sure they had enough [to eat] and I was like that reminds me of home and the kind of girl I want to really be with,’ he added.
‘And I’d gone through a couple of relationships with girls here in LA and it just wasn’t the same. There’s something really wholesome about it and I think that was when I was like hmm, maybe she’s not too young,’ he said with a laugh.
He went on to add: ‘[Now] we have a two-year-old… [We’ve been married for] three years and we’ve been together for like, seven.’
Elsewhere in the interview Duhamel opened up about his marriage to Fergie, real name Stacy Ferguson.
The actor and pop star were married from 2009 until their split in 2017. Their divorce was finalized in 2019.
‘We’re just very different,’ the Ransom Canyon star said to hosts Lauryn and Michael Bosstick. ‘She and I just have different views of the world, and that’s OK.’
He reflected on the relationship, ‘We have a beautiful son.’
Duhamel had nothing but kind words for his ex and he explained that she and his current wife are ‘both very different in a lot of ways but both really, really great women.’
He noted, ‘Fergie is also very wholesome, believe it or not, especially since she stepped away from it all,’ he said about the Black Eyed Peas frontwoman.
The Transformers star, 53, married the former beauty queen, 32, in 2022 and they are parents to two-year-old Shepherd, while Duhamel is also dad to Axl, 12, with ex-wife Fergie, 50
Duhamel and Mari split their time between North Dakota, where they’re from, and Los Angeles
The actor and ex-wife, 50-year-old pop star Fergie, pictured in 2015. The former couple were married from 2009 until their split in 2017
‘She’s a great mom, very kind, very non-confrontational, thank God.’
And all is well on the co-parenting side of things, as he said they ‘have a great relationship,’ adding, ‘She and Audra [also] have a great relationship.’
While appearing on Amanda Hirsch’s Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast in 2025, the actor said about his current wife, ‘It was truly platonic for years.’
Duhamel told Hirsch they started dating when he realized ‘she’s more mature than I am.’
When he and Mari announced they were expecting their first child in September 2023, the singer was quick to show support.
She commented on the pageant queen’s Instagram post, ‘I am truly happy for you guys. Axl can’t wait to be a big brother.’
Duhamel and Mari tied the knot in September 2022 in Fargo, North Dakota.
