How Cameron Diaz experiences ‘retirement’ after she met Benji

Barely five years ago, Cameron Diaz (47) was one of the most sought-after actresses in the world. But suddenly, she disappeared into the shadows. Why did she go in the shadows? Page Six figured it out.

In 2014, Cameron Diaz went for the wind. She graced the covers of various magazines, starred in three different films (‘Sex Tape’, ‘The Other Woman’ and ‘Annie’) that together brought in more than 450 million dollars worldwide and for the fourth time hosted the TV show ‘Saturday Night Live’. But suddenly Cameron disappeared from the spotlight. She hardly gave any interviews anymore and rarely appeared in public. The fact that she announced on Instagram on 3 January that she had become a mother surprised the world.

Growing desire for children

Why did Cameron disappear from public life so suddenly? According to various sources, that choice had everything to do with the actress’s growing desire for children. Cameron’s love life has always been well-filled. Relationships with Justin Timberlake, Matt Dillon, and Jared Leto followed one another, yet she never found the right one. That’s what a former assistant of the actress tells Page Six. “Cami always seemed like the girl you could have a good time with. The cute, sexy girl. She had a long list of boyfriends, but none of them made her feel safe.” That changed when she met Benji Madden, the guitarist of Good Charlotte, in 2014. “With Benji, her way of thinking changed completely: she became more homely, fascinated by wellness. And even though she had always said that she had never thought about children, that all changed when she met him.” In January 2015, Cameron and Benji got married.

Since then, Cameron’s life has been dominated by children, says a friend of the actress. “They tried to get pregnant for so long. They did acupuncture, special diets, IVF, supplements … They went to the best fertility doctors. They tried to adopt. But nothing worked.” Raddix Chloe Wildflower, their daughter, would eventually have been born through a surrogate mother. “For Cameron, a child had priority over her acting, writing books … Whatever career. She was fascinated.”

Do everything yourself

Now that Raddix has finally arrived, the couple is delighted. “She has little interest in leaving,” says Cameron’s girlfriend. “Benji is a great caretaker. And they are both not interested in a nanny. They all want to do it together, themselves.” A source from the music world also confirms this: “At the moment, Benji only wants to take care of Cameron and their little girl. After fifteen years on tour, you just want to stay home.”

Get started again

Still, Cameron could go back to work in Hollywood like that; it sounds – if she wanted to. “There wasn’t a movie studio that wouldn’t hire her when she was acting,” says a movie voucher. “They’d hire her even now. They would develop projects, especially for her. But she always says no.” According to the girlfriend, this also has to do with the fact that she is very often cast for the same role: that of handsome, cute blonde. Those roles made her successful, because in 2013, for example, she was the highest-paid actress older than 40, with film revenues of $3 billion: “Few actresses succeed. “Everyone thought Cami liked the attention,” says the friend. “But actually, she just knew how to surf the waves, have fun, and make friends. I always thought she was more like her character in ‘Being John Malkovich’ than all the sexy women she played. She’s incredibly inspired.”

Not so ambitious

Last year Cameron herself – in a rare article in InStyle – indicated that she is not waiting for a return to the big screen. “I’ve given more than half my life to the public,” she wrote. “I don’t miss acting. Right now, I’m looking at the world of wellness. But whatever I’m doing, it must be something I’m passionate about – something that feels effortless.”

According to her former assistant, that could be writing: “She loved writing books,” it sounds. Cameron’s already published two books: “The Body Book” (2013) and “The Longevity Book” (2016). “I bet she’s gonna write one about becoming a mother when you’re in your late 40s.” Another insider adds: “She has also always been a fan of yoga, pilates, and acupuncture. But she’s not as ambitious as Gwyneth (Paltrow, who founded the website Goop, ed.)”. Whatever she decides to do, she can still do it. She has an estimated net worth of $140 million. “Cam was very smart at the end of her career,” says her former assistant. “She only accepted a salary of $1 million for ‘Bad Teacher’ and then earned another $40 million with the side deal.”

And for now, Cameron and Benji are only thinking of one thing: “Pampers! They only think of pampers. And maybe a second baby.”