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How Josh Duhamel Knew Wife Audra Mari Was "The One"

Josh Duhamel and Audra Mari tied the knot in their home state of North Dakota on Sept. 10. Watch him praise the former Miss World America and talk about how he ended up in the ER on their wedding day.

By Elyse Dupre Sep 22, 2022 8:53 PMTags
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Josh Duhamel's heart has been transformed by his wife Audra Mari.

During an exclusive interview with E! News, the actor, 49, shared how he knew the former Miss World America, 28, was the one.

"I knew that she was the one early on," he told correspondent Francesca Amiker during an interview with Elisha Cuthbert for their new movie Bandit. "We're perfect for each other. She's an amazing girl. She keeps me grounded. She keeps it real. We're from the same home state and love lake life. We spend a lot of time on the lake together."

Josh and Audra tied the knot in their home state of North Dakota on Sept. 10. The model wore an asymmetric A-line gown by Leah Da Glória that featured floral detailing on the bodice, long sleeves and a neck bow. As for the groom, he donned a tuxedo by Ralph Lauren. 

While Josh called it an "amazing day" on Instagram, there was a bit of a hiccup. As the Transformers star recalled to Vogue Australia, he ended up in the emergency room after throwing his back out "pulling some wild moves on the party bus" the night before.

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However, he explained how it all happened, telling E! News, "You stand up inside of a big van like that they have those handrails. I tried to hold onto those and do, like, this gymnastics thing where my legs were both straight out….I tweaked [my back] and literally I felt it, knew something was up, woke up the next morning, two hours before the wedding I couldn't get out of bed."

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Josh joked that being able to still walk down the aisle after hurting his back was his favorite part of the wedding. But luckily he wasn't too injured. "I know I'm a little older than her," he teased, later adding, "This is not going to be a good look if I can't walk down the aisle."  

The wedding came eight months after Josh and Audra, who started dating in 2019, got engaged, with the Las Vegas alum popping the question with a message in a bottle during a sunset stroll along the beach in January. 

Josh was previously married to Fergie, with whom he shares son Axl, 9, but the two split in 2017 after eight years of marriage. Still, they've remained on good terms and continue to co-parent. During his interview with E! News, Josh spoke about the joy being a father brings him.

"Anybody who has kids I think would agree that, to me, is the best part of it," he said. "Watching from, like, the time they're born all the way through. And they just keep getting more and more interesting."

Bandit hits theaters Sept. 23. 

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