Traumatic betrayal – Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness crushing end after 30 years
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness marriage defied the odds for almost three decades - until it didn’t. See how Hollywood’s golden relationship ended in a “traumatic betrayal”.
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On April 11, 2023, Aussie superstar Hugh Jackman posted a gushing anniversary message to wife Deborra-Lee Furness to mark their 27-year wedding anniversary, reminiscing on the beautiful life and family they had created together.
“Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humour, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me,” Jackman wrote under a photo of the pair embracing in front of the New York City skyline.
“I love you with all my heart.”
Five months later the entertainment world was rocked when the golden couple made an announcement few saw coming.
“We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” they wrote in a joint statement in September.
“Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.
“Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.”
While the announcement was designed to give the impression of an amicable split, rumours soon began circulating that Jackman’s close relationship with his Music Man co-star Sutton Foster had played a role in the demise of the Hollywood romance that had defied the odds for almost three decades.
Those rumours became a roar in late 2024 when Foster, 50, filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years Ted Griffin, the screenwriter of heist film Ocean’s Eleven.
In January this year, Jackman and Foster were spotted together twice in California, holding hands in Santa Monica and kissing in the parking lot of a fast food burger chain In-N-Out in San Fernando.
The timeline of their relationship had been the source of much speculation and this week, after officially filing for divorce, Furness, 69, poured fuel on the fire.
“My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,” she said.
“It’s a profound wound that cuts deep.”
Furness said she remained grateful for her relationship with Jackman.
“I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience,” she said.
“Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose.
“It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom.”
The blistering statement was the first time either of them had commented on the end of their relationship since they announced their split. At the time, they said it would be the sole statement either of them would make.
Sources reported Jackman was blindsided by the scathing public rebuke from Furness this week.
But others said it has been a long time coming, particularly after reports surfaced that Foster had moved into the lavish $33 million Manhattan penthouse Jackman and Furness purchased in 2022 a year before they split.
The luxury two-level Chelsea apartment spans 4700 square feet with uninterrupted views of the Hudson River.
The homes they had built together had been a particular point of pride for Furness during her relationship with Jackman.
In late 2021, she told Architectural Digest about achieving her “lifelong dream” after finishing a six-year design and construction of a waterfront home in East Hampton.
Jackman was glowing of his then-wife’s design skills, saying they used every room, every day at the waterfront property.
“Because of Deb’s design, it brings us all together,” he told the publication.
The pair hold an impressive property portfolio and it’s unclear how that will be split up in the divorce settlement.
In 2022, they put their $40 million West Village triplex up for sale but it was delisted in October 2023, one month after the separation was announced.
They are also still believed to own a $12 million apartment at Bondi Beach which has doubled in value since purchasing in 2015 for $5.9 million.
While the divorce is yet to be finalised, they are understood to have agreed to a generous settlement that now needs to be signed off by a judge.
It will bring an end to their three-decade relationship that began when they met on the set of the Australian television show Corelli in 1995.
Jackman has previously told reporters it was love at first sight and they were married the following year and adopted two children Ava and Oscar, both now adults.
The gushing 27-year anniversary post was nothing unusual for the Wolverine star whose social media page was full of messages of gratitude and love to his “Deb” on anniversaries and birthdays.
Those photos remain on his Instagram page where fans have taken to offer their unsolicited opinions on the marriage breakdown.
Some messages are supportive, expressing hope for Jackman’s career and happiness, while others are vicious and accusatory.
Jackman is yet to share any new photos with Foster on the social media channels where he regularly posts but they are now regularly spotted together amid their busy career schedules.
Jackman is performing at Radio City Music Hall in his show Live from New York with Love.
He is also starring in the off-Broadway Play Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes.
Meanwhile Tony Award-winner Foster is embarking on a whirlwind tour across the country in her show Sutton on Tour.
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