At a Glance
- Josh Duhamel wants to pass down his Minnesota home to sons Axl, 12, and Shepherd, 2
- He and wife Audra Mari are raising the boys “deep in the woods”
- Axl, his son with ex-wife Fergie, bonded with stepmom and became a protective big brother
- Why it matters: The actor calls the move away from Hollywood a deliberate choice to give his children roots
Josh Duhamel is a proud father to two boys, Axl and Shepherd, and is focused on giving them a grounded upbringing far from the spotlight.
The Transformers star welcomed Axl with ex-wife Fergie in August 2013. After their January 2009 wedding and November 2019 divorce, Duhamel married Audra Mari in September 2022. The couple welcomed Shepherd in January 2024.
Life in the Minnesota woods
Duhamel told Parade in April 2025 that the family now lives “deep in the woods” of Minnesota.
“It’s really important to me that they have this,” he said about the property. “It’s not just about having all the amenities and all the luxuries that we become so used to. It’s really about family. It’s about legacy.”
Axl’s bond with stepmom
Speaking to Fatherly in January 2023, Duhamel said Axl brought “so much joy” and embraced his new stepmother.
“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,” the Daytime Emmy winner said. “He and I are like a couple of bachelors. And then she comes around, and she brings so much structure to the house.”
Duhamel added, “They have the most beautiful relationship.”
Co-parenting with Fergie
Duhamel praised his ex on The Jess Cagle Show in September 2023, calling Fergie “an amazing woman.”
“That’s the thing, you never know how these things are going to go … And thankfully we have a really civil situation,” he said.
Axl’s interests
Axl, now 12, has shown interest in acting but will wait until he is older to pursue it professionally.
“He loves it. He’s in his little theater class,” Duhamel told Fatherly. “He can do whatever he wants when he’s old enough. But he’s not going to be a child actor. He’s not going to be auditioning or getting an agent or anything until he can do it on his own. I want him to be a kid.”
Sports also captured Axl’s attention.
“I didn’t think he was ever going to get into it, but he really loves basketball now,” Duhamel shared with News Of Losangeles in March 2023. “He likes to throw the football around with me a little bit. I try not to be overbearing with him in sports, but I try to let him find it rather than me push it on him.”
Meeting David Beckham
In October 2023, Duhamel met David Beckham and shared the moment on Instagram.
“Thank you @davidbeckham for making me look cool to my son. You’re a good man,” the actor wrote.
Axl’s reaction appeared in a follow-up video: “Dad, that’s so cool! You met David Beckham! Oh my gosh, that’s so cool. I wish I could meet him.”
Big brother excitement
Axl was thrilled to become a big brother ahead of Shepherd’s arrival.
“He’s very excited. I don’t think he quite understands that it’s actually real. He will once he sees this little thing in front of him,” Duhamel said on Live with Kelly and Mark in September 2023.
He added, “He’s going to be a great older brother, too. He’s a really sweet-natured kid who loves babies, so I think this is kind of perfect.”
Shepherd’s arrival
Shepherd Lawrence Duhamel was born on Jan. 11, 2024, one year after Duhamel and Mari wed in North Dakota.
The pregnancy announcement came in September 2023, fulfilling Duhamel’s wish for more children. He had told Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast in December 2018, “I’m not 30 years old anymore. I’m 45. I want to have more kids in the next few years.”
Mari’s idea to leave Duhamel’s “bachelor pad” for a family home preceded Shepherd’s birth.
“Audra is going to be an incredible mother,” Duhamel told News Of Losangeles. “We’ve both been looking forward to this for a very long time.”
First holidays
The foursome celebrated their first Easter together in April 2024, with Mari posting an Instagram Story of Shepherd in a yellow knit outfit.
Key Takeaways
- Duhamel prioritizes family legacy over Hollywood perks
- Axl benefits from a blended, supportive family dynamic
- The Minnesota property symbolizes stability for both sons
- Co-parenting and step-parenting work smoothly in the household
