Why did Fergie leave Black Eyed Peas? Reason explored as singer reunites with band 8 years after exit

Details surrounding Fergie’s departure from the Black Eyed Peas resurfaced following her recent reunion with the group, years after she stepped away in 2017.

According to a 2020 E! News report, the singer’s exit came after more than ten years of collaboration and was rooted in her desire to focus on motherhood. Will.i.am, speaking alongside Apl.de.ap and Taboo in a Billboard interview, said the decision had been intentional and deeply personal for their former bandmate.

"We love her, and she's focusing on being a mom. That's a hard job, and that's what she really wants to do and we're here for her... It's really the way Fergie designed it, so we're respecting her design. We love Fergie, and we don't want anything but awesomeness for her," Will.i.am said at the time.

Apl.de.ap added that while the group understood her priorities, the choice inevitably affected their plans.

"But unfortunately our schedule is displaced by [her] wanting to be a great mom, and she wants to focus on that."

The renewed collaboration years later has placed fresh attention on the moment Fergie chose to step back and the reasons behind it.

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Eight years after leaving, Fergie reunited with Black Eyed Peas for private celebration

Eight years after stepping away from the Black Eyed Peas, Fergie reunited with her former bandmates for a personal celebration that drew attention across social media. According to a Dec. 14, 2025 report from E! News, the singer joined Taboo, will.i.am and APL.DE.AP to celebrate their milestone birthdays. Fergie, who also turned 50, marked the occasion by sharing a series of photos on Instagram on Dec. 13. “Finally got to break bread and celebrate our milestone birthdays together,” she wrote alongside the images, adding pea and red heart emojis.

“What a special night with my brothers, filled with so much love.”

The reunion followed another notable appearance for the London Bridge singer, who exited the group in June 2017. On Oct. 26, Fergie made a surprise return to the stage during Ludacris’ set at ONE Musicfest in Atlanta, where the longtime collaborators performed “Glamorous.”

After the performance, Ludacris highlighted the significance of the moment, telling the crowd that Fergie had not

“performed in seven damn years.”

He later reflected on the night in an Oct. 27 Instagram post, writing,

“We Got FERGIE OUT THE F---IN HOUSE!” alongside footage of the duet.

“ATLANTA WENT CRAZY! Love to my Sis.”

Fergie responded in the comments, acknowledging both the performance and their history.

“Loved being able to honor you, cheers to 25 years,” she wrote.

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Fergie looks back on music, growth and motherhood in her milestone birthday post

Fergie marked her milestone birthday with a reflective Instagram post that looked back on both her personal life and career, according to a report shared by NME on March 30, 2025.

Taking to Instagram on March 27, the singer shared a couple of images that included childhood photos as well as a screenshot showing her name listed in Billboard’s Top Women Artists of the 21st Century ranking. Writing to her four million followers, the singer explained that she had struggled to decide how to acknowledge the occasion.

“I honestly didn’t know what to post to mark this landmark number, so I started with a letter to my younger self,” she wrote.

Addressing herself directly, Stacy Ann Ferguson added,

“Dear little Stacy, one day you’ll be 50 and you’ll be proud of yourself. You won’t have it all figured out, but you realize …. who does? Success really is in the journey, and true happiness can be found in the smallest simple moments. Keep loving deeply with all your heart, and keep working on yourself. It always all makes sense later. I love you.”

She also reflected on her inclusion in the Billboard ranking, calling it a “beautiful surprise” and saying it made her feel her music “means something.” Stacy Ann Ferguson went on to acknowledge her son, Axl Jack, noting his impact on her life.

“I also could not acknowledge this milestone without including my son Axl Jack, the sweetest love I’ve ever known. You make me want to be a better human every day. Onward and upward!” she wrote.

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Josh Duhamel on lessons learned after divorce from Fergie

Years after his divorce from Stacy Ann Ferguson, Josh Duhamel said he continued to take meaningful lessons from the relationship. The actor spoke candidly about his past marriage during a Parade interview published Thursday, April 10, describing himself as a “work in progress” following the couple’s 2019 divorce. Duhamel and Stacy Ann Ferguson, who separated two years earlier, were married for eight years.

While their marriage ended, Duhamel said their co-parenting relationship remained steady, noting that there had been “very little conflict” as they raised their son, Axl Jack together. In a previous appearance on the In Depth With Graham Bensinger podcast, the actor pointed to lifestyle differences as a key factor in the split. "I don’t think I ever really got comfortable with all of it,” Duhamel said, referencing Hollywood culture.

"I just missed the simplicity of who I really am, you know?"

"I’m just not a guy who is comfortable going to red carpets. Doing all the Hollywood stuff," he continued.

Reflecting further during a 2023 interview with Bensinger, Duhamel said he had found closure.

“I made peace with that part of my life. She and I have a great relationship, there wasn’t anything wrong with it. We had a great time. I think we kind of outgrew each other and had very different interests,” he said.

He emphasized that there were no lingering resentments.

“I’ve got no hard feelings for it. I truly don’t, I’m very lucky that she’s a kind human.”