Cameron Diaz quit Hollywood for 10 years. When she returned, she noticed one major difference.

It's been a decade since Cameron Diaz has acted. Once a staple of the silver screen, the actor shunned Hollywood in exchange for a simpler life with her family.

But Diaz recently returned in a big way. She's back in action for her new movie titled, err... Back in Action.

Diaz made her long-awaited return to the big screen in 2025 opposite Jamie Foxx in the new Netflix action comedy.

In the movie, Diaz and Foxx play a 'normal' couple with kids who happen to be former CIA spies. When their cover is blown, the couple's traditional family life gets sent off the rails.

Watch the trailer for Back In Action. Story continues below.

This is Cameron Diaz's first film since 2014. And now, Diaz has shared her powerful observations about how Hollywood has evolved during her decade-long absence from acting, particularly highlighting the positive impact of the #MeToo movement on film-set culture.

The actress reflected on the stark differences between past and present industry standards. Speaking on the SkipIntro podcast, Diaz recalled how in her earlier career, inappropriate behaviour was something women were expected to tolerate, noting there was always "that one guy" on set whose presence made others uncomfortable.

"The industry is so different. I mean, I definitely have to say that MeToo changed everything. You walk on to the set and it is different. There was always just like that one guy, you know, on set, that you were like, 'God, here he comes again,'" she said.

"There was always layers and layers of inappropriateness that you just kind of had to put up with."

But with her return to the screen, Diaz noticed an incredible shift in the practices and standards on set to keep women safe. In fact, on the set of Back In Action, Diaz revealed she attended a human resources briefing about appropriate on-set behaviour and was provided with an "anonymous hotline" to report any concerns.

"I was like, 'Wow, that's amazing'. The level of security and safety you feel as a woman now on set is great. I had never felt that before this film."

So why did Diaz really 'leave' Hollywood, in the first place, and why is she now returning? Here's what we know so far.

Why did Cameron Diaz step back from acting?

At the height of her fame, Diaz was not only one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood, but the most versatile.

She could play a loveable rom-com lead in The Holiday, My Best Friend's Wedding and The Sweetest Thing, then pivot to kicking butt in Charlie's Angels or Knight and Day.

Jude Law and Cameron Diaz in The Holiday.

When Diaz stopped appearing in films after 2014, rumours ran wild over what prompted her sudden retirement.

Some fans thought it was because of the movies she appeared in leading up to her acting hiatus — namely What to Expect When You're Expecting and Sex Tape, which were both critical flops compared to her earlier hit films. But let's not discount the absolute delights that were Bad Teacher, The Other Woman and Annie.

Then there were the more egregious rumours in the tabloids that Cameron's changing appearance (aka how dare time pass women by!) had made her no longer the sought-after leading lady she once was.

Despite the speculation, the now-51-year-old actor has been nothing but honest, explaining that she wasn't exactly 'retiring' and leaving Hollywood, as it was reported — her acting break was due to her deciding to focus on her family once she turned 40.

Married to Benji Madden of Good Charlotte fame, the couple have two children: a daughter named Raddix, born in 2019, and a son named Cardinal, born in 2024.

She told Yahoo Finance Presents in 2021 that after giving "100 per cent" to her acting career, "it's just a different time in my life now."

"Now I'm here and this is the most fulfilling thing that I've ever done in my life. [To] have a family and be married and have our little nucleus of a family. It's just completely the best thing. I don't have what it takes to give making a movie what it needs to be made. All of my energy is here."

The actor first spoke about her gruelling work schedule in 2020 on Gwyneth Paltrow's In Goop Health show.

"You're there 12 hours a day for months on end. You have no time for anything else," she said. "I realised that I'd handed off parts of my life to all these other people... and I had to take it back."

Cameron Diaz credits her husband Benji Madden for her return to the big screen.

Back in Action marks Diaz's return to the screen after nearly a decade, her first movie since Annie in 2014.

And she credits her husband, Benji Madden, for giving her the push she needed.

Speaking at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit on October 15, she spoke about her exit and return to the big stage.

"It felt like the right thing for me to reclaim my own life, and I just really didn't care about anything else," she explained of her exit from Hollywood.

"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 really comes to what are you passionate about, for me it was to build my family."

Diaz explained how Madden, her husband and Good Charlotte rocker, supported her decision to get back into the spotlight.

"We were in the house for a long time, which was amazing," the 52-year-old star said.

"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 mummy ascend and do her do her thing.'"

Diaz has always been open about the love and support Benji gives her as a partner.

"I love being a mother. It's the best, best, best part of my life," Diaz said during a Instagram Live in 2020. "I'm so grateful and so happy, and it's the best thing ever, and I'm so lucky to do it with Benj, and we're having the best time. I'm thrilled."

Watch Cameron Diaz give a tour of her fridge. Post continues after video.

From Hollywood hits to family bliss.

Diaz married the Good Charlotte brother, Benji Madden, in 2015, and they welcomed their daughter, Raddix, in 2020.

"We are so happy, blessed and grateful to begin this new decade by announcing the birth of our daughter," Diaz and Madden said at the time. "She has instantly captured our hearts and completed our family."

Diaz opened up about her journey into motherhood, calling it the "best phase" of her life during a Rolling Stone interview in July 2020.

She later gushed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon about how fast time flies with Raddix, saying, "Literally every single day, there's just leaps and bounds and these things that happen. She's not the same baby that she was yesterday."

In March 2024, the couple surprised us all when they announced the arrival of their son, Cardinal. They shared a joint Instagram post featuring a photo of a piece of artwork, which read, "A little bird whispered to me."

In the caption, Madden revealed the news, writing: "We are blessed and excited to announce the birth of our son, Cardinal Madden. He is awesome and we are all so happy he is here!"

The couple added that they "won't be posting pictures or sharing any more details" about Raddix "other than the fact that she is really really cute!!"

He continued: "For the kid's safety and privacy we won't be posting any pictures — but he's really cute. We are feeling so blessed and grateful. Sending much love from our fam to yours."

This article was originally published on December 20, 2023 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature image: Getty.