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Josh Duhamel Reached Out to Fergie After Her National Anthem Performance: ‘I Just Felt Bad for Her’

Standing by her. Josh Duhamel opened up about how he reacted after soon-to-be ex-wife Fergie was criticized for her National Anthem performance at the NBA All-Star Weekend on February 18.

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The Transformers actor, 45, appeared on The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday, March 15, and spoke about how he showed his support for the singer, 42, after she was slammed for her bluesy rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“I was on my way back from the airport when I heard,” Duhamel said. “So, I saw it when I got home. I felt, I mean I’ve seen the girl sing it several times — Daytona 500, Patriots, Dolphins home opener — and she crushes the song, so I was surprised to see she tried what she did.”

He added: “But more than that, I just felt bad for her. There’s an army of trolls out there who are just ready to pounce and they were not nice. And for that, I feel bad but she’s a really tough girl.”

 

Fergie and Josh Duhamel attend the Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2015 Womenswear Collection presentation at Milk Studios in Hollywood, California.
Fergie and Josh Duhamel attend the Tom Ford Autumn/Winter 2015 Womenswear Collection presentation at Milk Studios in Hollywood, California. David Livingston/Getty Images

 

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“It’s not easy. Someone you care about getting hammered like that is not easy,” the actor continued. “And I wanted to defend her, too. I wanted to pull the tapes out from Daytona 500, like, ‘Look at this! She’s really good at singing this song!’ But I was like, ‘I gotta just stay out of this. It’s that protective thing in you, but she’s doing great.”

The show’s host mentioned that the actor brought the “Save It Til Morning” singer — who he split from in September 2017 — flowers after the performance. “I didn’t know what else to do. I was like, ‘I just want you to know, I got your back, girl. I’m with you, I’m on your side.’”

He continued: “The girl’s amazingly talented, she really truly is. And by the way, her album is amazing. She’s had a challenging year but she is resilient.”

Duhamel also spoke about the situation when he appeared on The Ellen Show in February. “I think she would probably admit that it was not her best work, but the girl is crazy talented. She really is. She’s an amazing woman — an amazing human being, really,” Duhamel told Ellen DeGeneres. “It’s hard to see somebody you care about get beat up like that. That’s the business, you know? You’re in this business. You put yourself out there. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you don’t.”

He continued: “Trust me, she’s fine. She is about as resilient as they come.”

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Fergie explained her choice to offer a different take on the song in a statement to Us Weekly the day after the performance. “I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” the Grammy winner told Us. “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.”

Duhamel and the singer were married for eight years and share son Axel, 4.

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