DESTROYED BY TRUST ISSUES
The sad truth behind Fergie and Josh Duhamel’s decision to end their eight-year marriage
She couldn’t have been more clear. Upon arriving in Brazil for the Rock in Rio festival on Sept. 13, an unsmiling Fergie paused to pose with her left fist in a defiant punch, perfectly showing off four sparklers — one on each finger — spelling out “F E R G.” Her wedding ring wasn’t among them. The next day, she and Josh Duhamel officially announced that they’ve called it quits after eight years of marriage. “With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year,” they said in a joint statement, explaining they’d kept their news quiet to give their family, which includes 4-year-old son Axl, time to adjust. They also told fans they want to keep things positive, adding, “We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family.” But behind closed doors, the split was rife with drama. “There has been trouble in paradise for a long time. We all knew they had been fighting nonstop. We love them as a couple, but we saw this coming,” a friend tells In Touch. While their busy careers contributed to the split, the friend believes jealousy is what ultimately tore Fergie (real name: Stacy Ferguson), 42, and Josh, 44, apart. “They had trust issues. Fergie couldn’t take it anymore,” says the friend. Adds an insider: “Ultimately, Fergie pulled the plug.”
It’s an issue they’ve been dealing with since the beginning of their marriage. In 2009, just nine months after they wed, an Atlanta stripper claimed she’d slept with Josh multiple times after giving him a lap dance. Josh later admitted to visiting her strip club — “I never should have done that, that was my mistake,” he said — but denied he’d been unfaithful (see sidebar). He and Fergie went to therapy and then renewed their vows for their first wedding anniversary. “When you go through difficult times, it really makes you stronger as a unit,” the singer told Oprah Winfrey in 2012. “Our love today is a deeper love, defi nitely.”
But his behavior caused concern. “Josh was still flirty with women. He’d lean in and whisper in their ears…and acted single,” says the friend. “It made Fergie really uncomfortable.” In recent months, friends recognized more signs the marriage was in trouble. “Josh seemed like he just needed time to himself. Sometimes he would go out to a bar alone,” says a source. “It was odd to see him out and about at night without his wife.”
Eventually, they were both leading separate lives. “They are both consumed by work, and that has made it difficult for them to spend time together,” says the friend. “When they were together, it seemed like plans were always made around their son.”
Still, they tried to make it work for a long time. “Things were better for them at the beginning of the year — they talked about [another] vow renewal and having a second child,” says the insider, adding that before long, old wounds festered. “It’s sad.” One thing is clear: They’re both devoted to their son. “I just saw them both at Axl’s birthday party. We had a really good time,” Fergie’s mom, Terri Jackson, tells In Touch. “They’re still going to coparent.” Fergie’s dad, however, admits that though the breakup “is not adversarial,” it still won’t be easy. “Divorce is difficult,” Jon Patrick Ferguson tells In Touch. “Particularly when both people have their own careers and are both successful. It’s tough.” ◼