Cameron Diaz stepped away from the spotlight in 2014 after becoming one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Now, ten years later, with a number of new projects in the works, Diaz is talking about her decision to both leave and return.
Diaz stated at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit on Monday that she had to quit acting after her final on-screen appearance in 2014's Annie. Since I didn't really care about anything else, I thought that taking back my life was the proper thing to do. My decision to take care of myself and create the life I truly wanted could not be changed by anyone's advice, achievements, offers, or anything else.
Diaz married Good Charlotte singer Benji Madden ten years ago, and the couple has two kids: a son named Cardinal and a daughter named Raddix. In 2020, she and her partner Katherine Power also introduced the clean wine brand Avaline.
In January 2025, Diaz will make a comeback to the big screen in the Netflix series Back in Action with Jamie Foxx. Along with returning for the next Shrek 5, she is reportedly in negotiations to co-star with Keanu Reeves in the dark comedy Outcome.
For my family, it was the ideal moment. We spent a lot of time at the house after COVID, which was fantastic, but the issue was that we would most likely remain there—we would still be there now. When people said, "It's over," I would respond, "No, it's not, it's not over for me," Diaz said of returning to Hollywood.My husband, who is the best, told me, "You've been supporting us and building the family," and he supported me in his business ventures. He said, "It's time for us to support you and let Mommy ascend and do her thing." I had to push myself. "Let me see you do it, girl," he says. I thought, "All right, let's get started."
She also mentioned that she "couldn't say no to Jamie" regarding the Netflix proposal. He said, "Come with me," and I said, "Okay, let's do it." Since it's our third movie together, it's excellent. The two had previously collaborated on Any Given Sunday (1999) and Annie.