Josh Duhamel shares son Axl with his ex-wife Fergie and son Shepherd with his wife Audra Mari

Josh Duhamel is a proud boy dad to his kids: Axl and Shepherd.

The Transformers star welcomed his older son, Axl, with his ex-wife, Fergie, in August 2013. The former couple married in January 2009 and finalized their divorce a decade later in November 2019. Duhamel married his wife, Audra Mari, in September 2022, and the pair welcomed their son, Shepherd, in January 2024.

Duhamel told Fatherly in January 2023 that his son Axl brought “so much joy” to his life and he embraced his new stepmom.

“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.”

These days, Duhamel and his family are living “deep in the woods” in Minnesota, and as he told Parade in April 2025, he hopes to be able to pass down their house to his sons someday.

“It’s really important to me that they have this,” he said. “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.”

Here’s everything to know about Josh Duhamel’s kids: Axl and Shepherd.

Axl Jack Duhamel, 11

Fergie, Axl Jack Duhamel and Josh Duhamel attend a baseball game between the between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on August 7, 2016.Noel Vasquez/GC Images

Duhamel and Fergie welcomed their first and only child together, son Axl, on Aug. 29, 2013. His parents named him after the rocker Axl Rose.

The former couple have spoken about being committed to co-parenting Axl. In September 2023, Duhamel described his ex as “an amazing woman” on The Jess Cagle Show. He explained, “That’s the thing, you never know how these things are going to go … And thankfully we have a really civil situation.”

Much like his father, Axl has shown an interest in acting, though Duhamel told Fatherly in January 2023 that his son would have to wait until he was older to pursue it as a career.

“He loves it. He’s in his little theater class,” Duhamel explained. “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.”

Outside of acting, Axl is interested in sports.

“I didn’t think he was ever going to get into it, but he really loves basketball now,” Duhamel told PEOPLE 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.”

Josh Duhamel and his son Axl.Josh Duhamel Instagram

In October 2023, Duhamel also scored major dad points with Axl when he met David Beckham. Alongside a photo with the former soccer star, Duhamel wrote, “Thank you @davidbeckham for making me look cool to my son. You’re a good man.”

The Safe Haven star also shared his son’s reaction to the photo. In a video on Instagram, Axl said, “Dad, that’s so cool! You met David Beckham! Oh my gosh, that’s so cool. I wish I could meet him.”

Axl was excited to become a big brother, too. Duhamel talked about his older son’s enthusiasm for the family’s new member during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark in early September 2023.

The actor explained, “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 also said he thought Axl becoming a big brother would be “good for him.”

“And now he’s going to have some responsibility,” the Love, Simon actor explained. “He’s excited. 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 Lawrence Duhamel, 1

Audra Mari and Josh Duhamel at The Grand Opening of Sphere in Las Vegas on September 29, 2023. Paul Citone/Variety/Getty

Duhamel and Mari welcomed their first child together, son Shepherd, on Jan. 11, 2024.

The couple announced that they were expecting in September 2023, one year after they tied the knot in their home state of North Dakota.

After his split from Fergie in 2017, Duhamel was candid about his desire to have more children in the future. During a December 2018 appearance on Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert, the actor explained, “I’m not 30 years old anymore. I’m 45. I want to have more kids in the next few years.”

Prior to the birth of their son, Duhamel and Mari had plans to ditch the actor’s “bachelor pad” and move into a proper family home. The All My Children alum told PEOPLE in September 2023 that the move was more Mari’s idea than his own but he also showered her with praise.

“Audra is going to be an incredible mother,” Duhamel said. “We’ve both been looking forward to this for a very long time.”

The family of four got to spend their first holiday together in April 2024, with Mari sharing a sweet video of Shepherd on Easter on her Instagram Stories. In the clip, the newborn donned a yellow knit ensemble.