- Hugh Jackman was married to Australian actress Deborra-Lee Furness for 27 years before they announced their separation in September 2023
- His new girlfriend, Broadway star Sutton Foster, was his co-star in The Music Man, and rumours suggest their romance began long before either of them was single
- Deborra-Lee publicly used the word “betrayal” when she filed for divorce in 2025, and she has never once taken it back
For decades, Hugh Jackman was held up as the gold standard of Hollywood husbands. Devoted, loyal, publicly affectionate, the kind of man who posted heartfelt anniversary tributes online and made other celebrities look bad by comparison. So when the news broke in September 2023 that he and Deborra-Lee Furness were separating after 27 years of marriage, the internet did not take it well. And then the details started to trickle out. And things got a whole lot messier.
Here is the full story of Hugh Jackman’s relationship history, from the set of an Australian TV show in 1995 to a drive-through kiss at an In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles in 2025.
Who Is Hugh Jackman’s Ex-Wife, Deborra-Lee Furness?
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness first met in 1995 on the set of the Australian TV series Correlli. After a few drinks one night, Hugh admitted to his co-star that he had feelings for her, and she returned the sentiment. They married in 1996, and for the next two and a half decades, they became one of those rare Hollywood couples that people genuinely believed in.
The couple share two adopted children, son Oscar, 24, and daughter Ava, 19. Furness, 13 years Jackman’s senior, was a constant presence at his premieres, award shows, and red carpet appearances. She was his person. Or at least, that is what everyone thought.
On September 15, 2023, they announced their split after 27 years of marriage. “We have been blessed to share almost three decades as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” the pair told People. “Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.” The statement was careful. Measured. And according to people close to both of them, it did not tell the whole story.
Insiders told Page Six that the split had “happened a while ago” and was not a surprise to family and friends, adding that the trouble in their marriage may have started even before Hugh returned to Broadway in The Music Man in February 2022. That last part is important. Remember it.
Who Is Sutton Foster, and What Is Her Movie with Hugh Jackman?
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman first met in the early 2000s at Broadway events. In 2004, Hugh hosted the Tony Awards, where Sutton won for Thoroughly Modern Millie. They stayed in each other’s orbit for years, friendly acquaintances in the same world, nothing more.
Then came The Music Man.
The pair starred together in the Broadway revival of the 1957 classic, which opened in 2021. They received matching Tony nominations for their efforts. Jackman played con man Harold Hill. Foster played his love interest, Marian Paroo. The chemistry was undeniable to everyone in the audience, and apparently, to everyone backstage, too.
In a 2022 Elle interview regarding The Music Man, Sutton joked it was “a chore” having to kiss Hugh every day during their performances, going on to say he is “a dream to work with” and that he had become “one of my best friends.” At the time, both of them were still married to other people. Jackman to Furness. Foster to screenwriter Ted Griffin, her husband of 10 years.
As for the film question many people search for, the movie that brought their relationship into the spotlight is Song Sung Blue. At the film’s premiere in October 2025, Jackman wore a classic black suit while Foster stunned in a sleek satin dress. The two smiled, laughed, and held hands throughout the night, confirming what many had suspected for months. That was their first official red carpet appearance as a couple.
The Kiss at In-N-Out, and Going Public
A bombshell report emerged in November 2024 alleging that Sutton and Hugh’s relationship was the reason Hugh and Deborra-Lee Furness got divorced. According to an insider, people on Broadway knew and kept it quiet because both of them are “so nice and great people.” Neither Jackman nor Foster has ever confirmed or denied the timeline.
What happened next, though, nobody could deny.
On January 6, 2025, photos surfaced of the couple holding hands and walking together after a low-key dinner in Santa Monica, California. The internet exploded. And then, just one week later, it exploded again.
Hugh and Sutton were spotted kissing in the drive-through line at an In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles on January 12. Sutton cradled Hugh’s face as the two shared a makeout session while waiting for their food. The man who once made the world believe he was the perfect husband was now making out with his Broadway co-star at a fast food window, and somehow, it was all over every tabloid by morning.
By February 2025, a source told Us Weekly that the pair are “madly in love” and “relieved and happy” that their relationship is now public, stressing that both of them were “adamant there was never anything going on while either one of them was married.” Whether you believe that or not largely depends on how much you trust anonymous sources and how closely you were paying attention to their Instagram posts during The Music Man.
The “Betrayal” Statement That Said Everything
While Hugh and Sutton were holding hands in Santa Monica, Deborra-Lee Furness was not sitting quietly.
In May 2025, Furness officially filed for divorce from Jackman in New York. Shortly after filing, she released a public statement that read: “My heart and compassion go out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. It’s a profound wound that cuts deep.” She did not name Hugh. She did not have to.
According to a source, Jackman did not expect Furness to go public since he believed they had an unspoken agreement to keep things private, and the statement stung him even more because he had tried to give her whatever she wanted in the divorce settlement. She filed anyway. She spoke anyway. And the word “betrayal” has been hanging over this entire story ever since.
The divorce was finalised on June 3, 2025, officially ending their 27-year marriage.
Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster’s Age Gap
People have been doing the math since January 2025, and here it is. Jackman was born on October 12, 1968, making him 56 at the time their relationship went public. Foster was born on March 18, 1975, making her roughly six years younger than him. Six years. That is the gap that the internet has been arguing about.
Furness will be 70 in 2025, meaning the two great loves of Jackman’s life are a whole generation apart. In his marriage to Furness, Jackman was the younger one by 13 years. With Foster, the dynamic flipped entirely.
By early 2026, the couple had taken vacations together in Costa Rica, begun house hunting, and were reportedly considering a New York wedding later in the year. For a man who spent the better part of three decades being the internet’s favourite devoted husband, things have moved at a dizzying speed.
Whether this is Hugh Jackman finally following his heart, or a very messy situation dressed up in Broadway lighting, depends entirely on who you ask. Deborra-Lee Furness knows what she would say. She already said it.
