Fergie & Josh In Bitter Custody Battle For Son Axl After Shocking Split

Fergie and Josh Duhamel recently shocked the world when they announced that they had secretly split after eight years of marriage.

Now — as the A-list couple prepare for an impending divorce — RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned that they are waging a bitter custody battle over their five-year-old son, Axl!

“Fergie wants full custody of Axl, but Josh isn’t having any of that,” a source close to the 42-year-old “Fergalicious” singer explained.

“They were holding off on filing for divorce in hopes that they could come to some sort of agreement, but things between them are not as cordial right now as they have been in the past.”

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, while Fergie has been hopping around the globe  to promote her upcoming album, Double Dutchess, Duhamel, 44, has been doubling down on daddy duty!

“They both know that Axl is definitely a daddy’s boy," said the insider, who notes Fergie "has been so busy promoting her music" she hasn't been spending as much time with her son as she'd like.

“Axl isn’t quite old enough to know what is really going on with his parents, but he does know that something is up because he keeps asking Josh, ‘Where is mommy?’” the source told RadarOnline.com. “She is so consumed in her work right in hopes to keep her mind off all the drama in her life."

Fergie's attempts to dull the pain aren't exactly helping.

"In fact, it is just breaking her family apart even more,” the source said, adding, however, that there is still hope for Fergie and Duhamel eventually setting aside their differences.