Loving the low-key life. Cameron Diaz “was already set on” stepping away from the spotlight, but the transition has been seamless with the help of husband Benji Madden.
“He definitely supported and helped her with the prices,” a source exclusively reveals in the new issue of Us Weekly, noting that the Good Charlotte performer, 43, “had her back” and “agreed” with the actress’ decision. “[It was] something that was clearly vital for Cameron’s soul.”
The Golden Globe nominee, 49, referred to herself as being “semi-retired” in March 2018 and has since been candid about her choice to take a break from the Hollywood scene. “I just looked around and there were so many parts of my life that I wasn’t touching and that I wasn’t managing, and I couldn’t really manage, because everything was so massive,” she recalled during an August 2021 appearance on Hart to Heart.
Despite her acting sabbatical, the Sweetest Thing star “still stays really busy,” per the source. Diaz and Madden “live a great life” and have their “hands full” with daughter Raddix, who they welcomed in 2019.
“It’s been a really fun journey doing something she loves and building up her brand,” the insider says, adding that Diaz has been hard at work on her Avaline wine business and other ventures. “Plus, she and Benji make time for date nights and trips away as often as they can.”
The couple, who wed in 2015, also “spend a ton of time” with Benji’s twin brother, Joel Madden, and his wife, Nicole Richie. “[They’re] over at the house all the time,” the source tells Us.
Diaz is “so happy and grateful” to soak up her downtime at home, which often includes cooking, gardening, decorating and other housework, the insider reveals. “[She] tries not to rely on nannies all that much. … There’s not a day that goes by that she doesn’t thank her lucky stars for being in this position.”
While she enjoys her time away from the cameras, the Holiday actress has continually gushed over Benji’s support. During a recent interview on “Michelle Visage’s Rule Breakers” podcast, the California native opened up about the lessons she’s learned from the rock star.
“He’s really taught me to value myself a lot more,” she said on the March 8 episode. “I didn’t [expect it] because I think that I was receiving so much validation elsewhere and in all these other ways. With our marriage, I learned how to really go all in. You know what I mean? Like, completely — nothing else comes before this.”
Diaz called her relationship “the most valuable thing I have,” adding, “We know that no matter what we can just go and be just a family anywhere and we’re fine. We don’t need any of the things that we have, other than each other.”
The couple are “fortunate and blessed” — and happier than ever — the source tells Us. “She made the right choice to put work-life balance first instead of chasing stardom and filming movies all over the country.”
For more on Diaz’s motherhood journey, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
