In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, actor Josh Duhamel is expressing his deep love and admiration for his wife, Audra Mari. The 52-year-old star, who recently partnered with CarGurus for their new series, The Big Deal Show, revealed that he feels “very lucky” to have found his partner, calling her an “amazing woman” and a “great mom.”
The couple, who are from North Dakota, have a love story that began with a modern meet-cute: a direct message on Instagram. Duhamel, a proud North Dakotan, had been following Mari’s success in beauty pageants. “I slid into her DMs,” he shared on the Live with Kelly and Mark show, inviting her to a barbecue. He admits he was initially hesitant due to their 21-year age gap, but their immediate connection proved his concerns unfounded. “She’s more mature than I am, and that’s really how we started dating,” he confessed.
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Duhamel and Mari’s relationship quickly blossomed. They got engaged in a whimsical message-in-a-bottle proposal on the beach in January 2022 and tied the knot in September of that same year in their home state of North Dakota. Their wedding, a return to their small-town roots, was held in the same church where Mari was baptized.
In January 2024, the family grew with the arrival of their son, Shepherd Lawrence. Duhamel, also a father to 11-year-old Axl with his ex-wife Fergie, has praised Mari’s role as a stepmother. He has also spoken about the beautiful bond between his two sons, with Axl being an “incredible older brother.”
Looking ahead, Duhamel is confident in his future with Mari. He told PEOPLE that he is “very much looking forward to our third wedding anniversary” and, without a doubt, stated: “I’m going to be with this girl forever.” The actor is clearly relishing his life away from the Hollywood hustle, finding his greatest role and deepest fulfillment in being a husband and father.
