Cameron Diaz had reached her breaking point. When Annie hit theaters in 2014, it marked her 38th movie in 20 years. “It’s so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there,” she told pal Gwyneth Paltrow during a 2020 Goop interview. “There’s a lot of energy coming at you at all times.” She decided to take a giant step back from Hollywood to focus on herself and build the family she’d always wanted. In 2015, she married Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden, and the two welcomed daughter Raddix in December 2019 and son Cardinal in March. “Cameron was burnt out,” a source tells Us Weekly in the latest cover story, “and her priorities shifted.”
After an eventful — and personally fulfilling — decade, Diaz is returning to the spotlight. Her new Netflix film, Back in Action, debuts January 17. In it, she and costar Jamie Foxx play married former CIA agents who are pulled back into the world of espionage when their identities are blown. In May, the 52-year-old actress was spotted filming the upcoming Apple TV+ flick Outcome with Keanu Reeves and Matt Bomer in L.A., and she’s set to star in Shrek 5, due out in July 2026. A second source says Diaz’s decision to act again “evolved over time,” adding, “It wasn’t sudden.” In October, she told the audience at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit that “it was just the right time for my family.”
Make no mistake: Her next chapter will be on her terms. “Cameron [is] very selective about future projects,” says the first source. Her priorities are her children and Madden, 45, and their low-key life in Montecito, California. “I’m not defining anything,” Diaz recently told Empire about coming out of retirement. “I’m just open to whatever makes sense for me and my family at any given moment.”
A New Perspective
According to the first source, Diaz wasn’t sure if she’d ever make another movie. She’d been burning the candle at both ends for two decades. “[I] looked around and [saw] there were so many parts of my life that I wasn’t touching,” she said on Hart to Heart in 2021. “It wasn’t about disliking the industry; It was about shifting priorities,” the second source says of Diaz’s decision to leave showbiz. Adds the first source: “Having kids was something she always wanted, [but] didn’t feel like she could while working in Hollywood.”
In 2022, Diaz told “Rule Breakers” podcast host Michelle Visage that, during her hiatus, she also “went in and did some really deep, personal healing.” It took years for her to be ready to get back in the swing of things. “Cameron feels like she’s settled now and is in a good place mentally,” says the source. “She has a new outlook on work and the industry as a whole.”
Cameron Diaz has dated several celebrities, but never thought she’d get married until she started dating her now-husband, Benji Madden, in May 2014. “[Marriage] was the biggest thing I’ve done in my 40s, and it opened me up in different ways,” Diaz told Harper’s Bazaar in May 2016, 16 months after she and the rockstar […]
It helped that her first big project involved a reunion with Foxx, with whom she starred in 1999’s Any Given Sunday. “Only you could get me back in action,” she wrote in a June 2022 Instagram post directed at her longtime friend when the movie was first announced. “They were constantly laughing on set,” says the first source, noting that they share a similar sense of humor “and their chemistry is unmatched.” For Diaz, being back in the mix has been fun. “Cameron had some initial nerves,” adds the second source, “but she rediscovered her love for the craft.”
Happy Marriage
Madden was encouraging throughout the process. “[Benji] was just like, ‘You’ve been supporting us and building the family’ … It’s time for us to support you and let Mommy ascend and do her thing,’” she said in October. Notes the first source: “He cheered her on every step of the way.”
The musician has been her rock ever since they fell in love in 2014 (they were introduced by Diaz’s friend Nicole Richie, who married Benji’s twin brother, Joel, in 2010). “I saw him walking towards me, and I was like, ‘Huh, he’s hot,’” she said in 2021. “When I saw him — like who he was — that’s what made me really be like, ‘Oh you, you’re special, you’re the guy.’” According to the second source, “Cameron said she knew Benji was different almost immediately. He felt the same. Their connection was instant and natural.”
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden are parents of two! Diaz, 51, and Madden, 45, announced the arrival of baby No. 2 on Friday, March 22. “We are blessed and excited to announce the birth of our Son, Cardinal Madden❤️🙏,” the duo wrote in a joint Instagram statement. “He is awesome and We are all so […]
Their relationship is built on mutual respect and constant communication. “They’re a team,” says the second source. “They’re always lifting each other up and prioritizing each other’s happiness.” Madden stepped up to the plate when Diaz returned to work, helping take care of their two young kids: “Benji’s a very hands-on dad and extremely helpful.” Diaz recently revealed the pair rely heavily on therapy. “[It’s] a big thing in our family,” she told Joel on the December 11 episode of his “Artist Friendly” podcast. “You can’t be in a marriage and have a family if both people are not 100 percent every day.”
The couple will celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on January 5 by doing something low-key and meaningful. “Cameron and Benji like to keep milestones intimate and personal,” says the second source. In general, they’re not big on industry events or splashy parties. “They like cooking, having movie nights or taking quiet walks,” adds the source. They also spend a good deal of time with Richie and her husband. “They try and get together as one big family often,” shares the first source, adding that Diaz leaned on Richie when it comes to the kids. “She’s helped Cameron with everything she needs.”
Raddix and Cardinal are the center of their universe. “There’s lots of love and laughter at home,” says the second source. The couple bought their six- bedroom, $13 million Montecito mansion in 2022. “They have privacy there,” says the first source, adding, “They live a very peaceful life. They love the local quaint cafes and the beach [and] a slower pace of life for raising their kids.” As for more children, both sources say they are open but content with two, with the first noting, “They’re incredibly happy with their family.”
Looking Ahead
Cameron Diaz Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for ELLE
Besides motherhood and her upcoming movies, Diaz has plenty else to keep her busy. She launched her organic wine line, Avaline, in 2020, and it remains a huge focus. “It takes precedence over acting,” says the first source. She’s written two books about health and longevity. “Cameron is passionate about Avaline and she also loves wellness, food and exploring other creative ventures,” says the second source, adding, “Her goal is to pursue projects — whether acting, business or family life — that feel meaningful and authentic.”
For more on Diaz, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
With reporting by Andrea Simpson & Amanda Williams
