Cameron Diaz Shares How Benji Madden Supported Her Return to Hollywood
Originally appeared on E! Online
Cameron Diaz needed a little extra push to make her return to Hollywood.
And the person to do it? Her husband, Benji Madden. After stepping away from her acting career in 2014, Cameron is set to return to the big screen in 2025—and it’s all thanks to the Good Charlotte rocker.
“We were in the house for a long time, which was amazing,” the 52-year-old star said during an Oct. 15 conversation at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit. “So, I had to push myself. My husband, he’s just the best. He was just like, ‘You've been supporting us and building the family.’ And supporting him in his businesses. He's like, ‘It’s time for us to support you and let mommy ascend and do her do her thing.’”
In her time away from Hollywood, Cameron and Benji—who got married in 2015—went on to privately welcome two children through surrogate, a daughter, Raddix, 4, and son Cardinal, 6 months.
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And for the Sweetest Thing star, the decision to walk away from her career onscreen was because she wanted to take the time to grow her family.
“It felt like the right thing for me to reclaim my own life, and I just really didn't care about anything else,” she shared. “Nobody's opinion, nobody's success, no one's offer, no one's anything could change my mind about my decision of taking care of myself and building the life that I really wanted to have. I think it's it really comes to what are you passionate about? For me it was to build my family.”
However, Cameron will soon grace the screen once more as she’ll star alongside Jamie Foxx in the film Back in Action. In fact, it was her now three-time collaborator—she and Jamie previously worked together on Annie and Any Given Sunday—who helped encourage her return.
“I couldn't say no to Jamie,” Cameron noted during the Forbes conversation. “He said, ‘Come with me.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, let's do it.’ It's our third film together.”
The Charlie’s Angels actress previously spoke about working with Jamie and why it wasn’t hard to get back into the groove alongside him.
The last movie I made was Annie with Jamie, and so the first movie back is this film with Jamie," she said during an 2022 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "He's so great, he's so easy, he's so professional, he's so talented, and just being able to work with him."
She added, "It will be so much fun."
Keep reading for more on Cameron and Benji's romance...
December 2014: Engagement Rumors
One month before tying the knot, Cameron Diaz flashed what appeared to be an engagement ring from Benji Madden.
Jan. 5, 2015: Married!
Jan. 27, 2015: Courtship to Courtside
The newlyweds were all loved up watching the Lakers play the Wizards in L.A.
March 2015: Wearing His Love
Benji gets a tattoo of his Cameron's name on his chest.
April 2016: Cameron Opens Up
The There's Something About Mary star opens up on Andy Cohen's Radio Andy show about how she and Benji met.
"The first thing I said when I first met my husband was, 'He's hot,'" she says. "How come I didn't know this before? We had never been in the same circle."
Cameron adds that they formally met when she hosted a dinner party at her house with his brother Joel Madden and sister-in-law Nicole Richie. Joel asked if he could invite Benji. Cameron says, "Then I saw him again. Wait a second, still hot!"
June 2016: We Are Family
Nicole Richie's dad Lionel Richie, husband Joel Madden, sister-in-law Cameron and brothers-in-law Josh (on the left) and Benji showed up to support her Harlow 1960 x REVOLVE launch.
June 2018: Back to Italy
The two vacation in Italy again.
August 2019: Cameron Reflects on Marriage
"Getting married to him was the best thing that ever happened to me," she tells InStyle about Benji. "My husband's the best. He's the greatest human being, and he's my great partner. Marriage is certainly hard, and it's a lot of work. You need somebody who's willing to do the work with you, because there's no 60-40 in marriage. It's 50-50, period. All the time."
January 2020: Oh, Baby!
Cameron and Benji announce on Instagram that they have welcomed a baby girl, Raddix Madden.
August 2023: Birthday Love
"I'm off line mostly these days, just working, painting, making things and doing family life, but I have grown to like my little tradition of coming back on special occasions to show love to my Queen," Benji wrote on Instagram. "so today, it's a very Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife, best friend, best partner in everything, ride or die, greatest Mom to our little girl, @Avaline wine boss, family chef, advisor, collaborator and everything else."
March 2024: A Bigger Brood
The couple announce the arrival of their second child, a son named Cardinal Madden.
"He is awesome," they share in a joint Instagram post, "and We are all so happy he is here!"