Fergie and Josh Duhamel separate after 8 years of marriage

The couple have a 4-year-old son, Axl Jack.

ByABC News
September 14, 2017, 3:53 PM

— -- Fergie and Josh Duhamel have split.

The couple have separated after eight years of marriage, they have confirmed in a joint statement obtained by ABC News.

The news was first reported by by People magazine.

“With absolute love and respect we decided to separate as a couple earlier this year,” they stated. “To give our family the best opportunity to adjust, we wanted to keep this a private matter before sharing it with the public. We are and will always be united in our support of each other and our family.”

Fergie, 42, and Duhamel, 44, announced their engagement in 2007 after three years of dating, and married in 2009. They welcomed their son, Axl Jack, four years later.

Earlier this year, Duhamel, who recently attended the North Dakota State Fair with his family, told Haute Living magazine that the secret behind his lasting relationship was that he and his singer wife "genuinely like each other."

"[We] have a lot of love for our son, and have a good time together," he said. "That’s about it.”