5 Surprising Facts About Josh Duhamel And Wife Audra Mari’s New Life, Baby, And 21-Year Age Gap
The life of A-list actor Josh Duhamel and his wife, Audra Mari, has seen a dramatic, heartwarming shift since their wedding, with the latest chapter being the arrival of their first child together. As of December 2025, the couple is deeply immersed in family life, having recently welcomed their son and openly discussing their unique relationship, including the significant 21-year age gap, in a series of candid interviews. Their story is a true-life Hollywood romance rooted in the Midwest, blending Duhamel’s blockbuster career with Mari’s background as a beauty queen and television host.
The couple, who share a deep connection to their home state of North Dakota, have successfully kept their family life grounded and private while navigating the demands of Duhamel’s film career, which includes major roles in franchises like Transformers and recent films such as Shotgun Wedding. The most significant update is the birth of their son, which has solidified their bond and reshaped their priorities, as Duhamel shared details about their decision to raise their family away from the Hollywood spotlight. The following provides a comprehensive look at the couple’s journey, from their surprise engagement to the latest family developments.
Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari: Complete Relationship & Biography Profile
The couple’s connection is famously rooted in their shared North Dakota heritage, a bond that has defined their relationship and their approach to family life.
Josh Duhamel: Biography & Career Highlights
- Full Name: Joshua David Duhamel
- Born: November 14, 1972 (Age 53 as of December 2025)
- Birthplace: Minot, North Dakota, U.S.
- Occupation: Actor, Producer, Director, Former Fashion Model
- Notable Roles: Leo du Pres on All My Children, Danny McCoy on Las Vegas, Colonel William Lennox in the Transformers film series, and roles in films like Life as We Know It and Shotgun Wedding.
- Previous Marriage: Fergie (Stacy Ann Ferguson) of The Black Eyed Peas (2009–2019). They share a son, Axl Jack Duhamel.
Audra Mari: Biography & Career Highlights
- Full Name: Audra Diane Mari
- Born: January 8, 1994 (Age 31 as of December 2025)
- Birthplace: Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
- Occupation: Model, Television Host, Beauty Pageant Titleholder
- Beauty Pageant Titles: Miss North Dakota USA 2014, Miss USA 2014 (1st Runner-Up), Miss World America 2016.
- Television Work: Has worked as a host and correspondent, leveraging her pageant and modeling background.
- Relationship Start: First linked publicly in October 2019.
The Latest Family Update: Welcoming Shepherd Lawrence Duhamel
The most exciting news surrounding Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari is the arrival of their son, marking a significant milestone for the couple. This development has been the focus of their lives and recent public comments.
The couple welcomed their first child together, a son named Shepherd Lawrence Duhamel, in January 2024.
The birth was announced via a joint Instagram post, featuring a sweet photo of the baby's feet, a common way celebrities share their happy news. Shepherd is Audra’s first child and Josh’s second, joining his older half-brother, Axl Jack.
The arrival of Shepherd has brought a new dynamic to Duhamel’s life, who had long expressed a desire to have more children. In a recent interview, Duhamel spoke about how lucky he felt to have Audra as his wife and the mother of his child, emphasizing the joy and fulfillment of their new family unit.
This commitment to family is so strong that Duhamel revealed in an April 2025 interview about their lifestyle that they have embraced a quieter life, spending significant time in the Minnesota woods, a short distance from their North Dakota roots, to raise their son away from the constant spotlight of Los Angeles.
Inside Their North Dakota Wedding and 21-Year Age Gap
Their relationship is notable not only for its Hollywood-meets-Midwest charm but also for the way they have openly addressed the age difference between them and the unconventional location of their wedding.
The North Dakota Love Story and Wedding
Josh and Audra tied the knot in a surprise, intimate ceremony on September 10, 2022, in Fargo, North Dakota.
The wedding was a reflection of their grounded, down-to-earth personalities. The story of how they ended up getting married in Fargo is a charming anecdote: they reportedly took a party bus to a local bar to celebrate after the ceremony, making the event feel more like a hometown celebration than a typical A-list Hollywood wedding.
Their shared background in North Dakota is a cornerstone of their relationship. Duhamel has often credited this mutual connection to their home state for providing a strong, stable foundation for their life together. Audra, a former Miss World America, is also a proud North Dakota native, reinforcing their shared values and desire for a life outside of the entertainment industry’s constant churn.
Addressing the 21-Year Age Gap
There is a 21-year age gap between Josh Duhamel, who is 53, and Audra Mari, who is 31.
In a recent interview, Duhamel was candid about the difference, acknowledging that while it is a reality, it has not been a barrier to their profound connection. He has expressed that he "got very lucky" to find Audra, highlighting their shared perspective on life and family as the key to their successful marriage.
The couple's openness about the age difference helps normalize the topic in Hollywood, emphasizing that compatibility and shared life goals—like the desire to raise a family—are far more important than the number of years between partners.
The Proposal and Relationship Timeline
Their journey to marriage began with a romantic and unique proposal, followed by a relatively short engagement before their Fargo wedding.
- Late 2018/Early 2019: Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari begin dating, sparking initial romance rumors.
- January 8, 2022: Duhamel proposes to Mari on her 28th birthday. The proposal was super romantic: he used a message in a bottle on the beach that read, "Audra Diane Mari, will you marry me?"
- September 10, 2022: The couple marries in an intimate ceremony in Fargo, North Dakota.
- September 2023: The couple announces they are expecting their first child together, one day after celebrating their first wedding anniversary.
- January 2024: Their son, Shepherd Lawrence Duhamel, is born.
- April 2025: Duhamel discusses their family life and decision to live in the Minnesota woods in a candid interview, emphasizing their focus on privacy and nature.
Their story is a refreshing reminder that love can be found in unexpected places, even for a major Hollywood star. By prioritizing their shared values, their North Dakota roots, and their new life as parents to Shepherd, Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari have built a strong, enduring partnership that continues to captivate fans.
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