Josh Duhamel Says He ‘Cannot Wait To Meet’ His Baby Daughter—as He Opens Up About Balancing Family Life at His Prepper Cabin With L.A. Glamour

Hollywood star Josh Duhamel has opened up about his excitement at welcoming his first daughter—while discussing how he is balancing his family life at his remote cabin in Minnesota with his glamorous lifestyle as an A-list actor in Los Angeles.

The 53-year-old "Ransom Canyon" star—who already has a 12-year-old son, Axel, with ex Fergie, and a 2-year-old son, Shepherd, with wife Audra Mari—opened up to E! News about his joy at learning his spouse is now pregnant with a baby girl.

While discussing the release of his new movie, "Preschool," Duhamel was asked about his growing family, to which he confessed that he "cannot wait to meet" his daughter.

"I don't know what to make of it. I'm just so—I cannot wait to meet her, and I think there's something about dads and their little girls. It's different, you know?" he said.

Mari, who tied the knot with Duhamel in 2022, revealed that the couple was expecting their second baby in an Instagram post on March 5, while sharing images of herself showing off her growing bump in an elegant photoshoot.

“Adding a little girl to our story.. We can’t wait to meet you,” she captioned the post.

With another addition to the family on the way, Duhamel said he is eager to spend even more time with his wife and kids at his off-grid cabin in Minnesota's Land of 10,000 Lakes—admitting he would likely move there full time if it weren't for his obligations in L.A.

However, he noted that the balance between his remote prepper paradise and his more traditional home in California is of great benefit to his children, because they get to experience two completely different worlds.

"We live in North Dakota, but our cabin is just across the border in Minnesota. So, we spend a lot of time out there. It's great because we spend quite a bit of time [in L.A.] too," he said.

Duhamel conceded that living at his rural property permanently would come with some drawbacks—namely the freezing cold temperatures—but insisted that he would make it work if he could.

"But, you know, the majority of our time is out there and I could live—and it's very cold this time of the year, so it's not ideal—but I truly could live out there all year round if it weren't for work," he went on.

"It's great for the kids because they get a taste of L.A. and all the things that has to offer. You send them out there in the woods and they're just exploring. They're swimming. They're jet skiing. It's a pretty special place."

He previously opened up about his secluded sanctuary in a wide-ranging interview with Country Living, revealing that nature has helped "ground" him to what's important.

"These days, there’s so much anger in the world, and I think it’s because people are on their phones, getting caught up in whatever they’re being fed through their devices as opposed to being outside connecting with the world," he explained. "Nature helps ground you to what’s important."

Although the cabin has acted as a secluded sanctuary for Duhamel, it hasn't come without its flaws.

Duhamel told the outlet that building the property caused them plenty of issues and left them without plumbing for the "longest time."

"We were basically homesteading the first 12 years. For the longest time, we didn’t have plumbing. We were using outhouses and washing dishes in the lake," he admitted.

Over the years, Duhamel has upgraded his cabin with a slew of amenities, including plumbing. However, it has maintained its rustic charm.

"I feel so connected to it. I didn’t just buy the place, I shaped this place," he explained. "While we’ve made a lot of improvements, you still feel like you’re roughing it, and I love that."

Duhamel first opened the doors to his cabin in an October 2023 video shoot with YouTube host Graham Besinger, during which he described the property as a true "paradise," one that is equipped to help the actor and his family ride out whatever disaster may occur in the near future, natural or otherwise.

Taking Bensinger on a tour of his Minnesota property, the self-described "doomsday prepper" revealed he has installed multiple survival resources on his property, including three wells and "food plots," including several filled with clover and chicory to help lure in game to hunt.

While he noted that he had never hunted growing up, he explained it felt like an essential skill to learn in order to ensure that he was fully prepared to provide for his family in dire circumstances.

"Part of being out here, I have a fear of having to move out here and live off the land," he explained. "I don't know if that's ever going to happen. But I feel it's a skill I need to learn."

Duhamel added that he was inspired by the "Patriots" survival guide and confessed that he worried about the delicate nature of a society so tech dependent.

"We lose our cellphones, and we all lose our g**d*** minds," he said, imagining what the future might look like if the stock market were to crash, triggering a shortage of fuel and food. "I just want a place where I could just get away to until things get back to normal."

Duhamel shared that he bought the property around 18 years ago, thanks to his dad, who brought him out to see it for the first time.

"He knew I wanted a place that was away from everything, something remote," he says.

In a previous interview with Parade, Duhamel revealed that he built the property because it's "deep in the woods."

He added, "The closest store is 40 miles away. Once we get there, it's really about everybody taking care of each other—making memories, spending time with family and friends. You really get a chance to get back to the basics.

"You're not consumed by all these other distractions. When you're out there, it's really about having fun, making sure everybody's warm, everybody's got food and water."

Duhamel revealed how building the property and spending time there helped him and his dad to mend their once-fraught relationship, which was severely affected by Duhamel's parents' divorce.

"I’ve become a lot closer to my own parents because of this place, which has been interesting," he shared. "My dad absolutely loves coming out there to hang out. And we've spent more time together in these last five, 10 years than we ever did growing up. I'm much closer to my dad. My mom now loves coming out there. It's become a real, central hub for all of us."

Much like his "Ransom Canyon" character, Duhamel explained that he hopes to pass the property down to his two kids, so they can one day enjoy it with their own children. He noted that he's trying to create something much more important than a real estate asset at the Minnesota property.

Duhamel still holds the keys to a Los Angeles abode that he purchased for $2.65 million in 2018, shortly after his split from first wife Fergie.

The actor put that dwelling on the rental market for $15,000 a month in February 2024. However, the listing was removed in May of that year.