Real reason why Cameron Diaz has been absent from Hollywood for over a decade

Cameron Diaz has revealed the real reason why she's been absent from Hollywood for over a decade.

The 52-year-old actress rose to fame after starring in a number of box-office smash-hits from the 90s into the 2010s including the likes of The Mask, The Holiday, Charlie's Angels, The Other Woman and Shrek.

She's also been busy raising a family, having revealed a heartwarming admission earlier this year about her experience of motherhood alongside her husband Benji Madden, with whom she recently welcomed her second child.

Cameron Diaz recently opened up about her priorities in life at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit 2024 (Presley Ann / Stringer / Getty Images)

"We are blessed and excited to announce the birth of our son, Cardinal Madden," they wrote in a joint post last year.

"He is awesome and we are all so happy he is here! For the kids' safety and privacy we won’t be posting any pictures - but he’s really cute/ We are feeling so blessed and grateful."

However, after a 10-year hiatus from our screens, it seems Diaz is ready to return to the spotlight with a brand new Netflix film.

Starring alongside Jamie Foxx in the jam-packed flick, aptly titled Back in Action, the actress has since made her comeback to the industry with the film's release last month (15 November).

And it wouldn't be a Hollywood comeback after nearly a decade without a variety of projects soon to follow.

Diaz opened up about why she wanted to 'reclaim' her life (Stefanie Keenan / Contributor / Getty Images)

In addition to the action flick, Diaz has also taken on a role in a crime drama directed by Jonah Hill and - to many fans' excitement - has also returned for Shrek 5, having previously voiced Princess Fiona in a number of the former instalments.

And now, Diaz has explained the gap in her Hollywood resumé and pointed to what her major priority was going forward in life.

"For me, it was just something I had to do," Diaz shared at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit.

She continued: "It felt like something I had to do to reclaim my own life. And I just really didn’t care about anything else.

"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."

Opening up about her priorities, Diaz explained: "It really comes to - what are you passionate about? For me, it was to build my family."

"That the thing you feel in your soul, that speaks to you and you feel peace in it," she resolved before assuring fans: "You're going to figure it out."