The Fling Rumor Hugh Jackman Faced After His Divorce From Deborra-Lee Furness

Of all the Hollywood marriages, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness' seemed rock solid, which is why their separation announcement was shocking. After almost 30 years of marriage, the couple said in a statement to People, "We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth." Jackman and Furness, who share two adult children, continued, "Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives."

Although the separation seemed amicable enough, there were signs Jackman's divorce was messier than we thought. After his joint announcement with Furness, InTouch Weekly reported that the "Wolverine" star was linked to Sutton Foster during their time in "The Music Man." A source shared, "Their romance is an open secret on Broadway." According to the insider, Jackman was starry-eyed over his co-star the first time he laid eyes on her and the feeling was mutual. While on-screen romances turning into real-life flings are common, Jackman hadn't announced his separation yet and Foster is married to screenwriter Ted Griffin. However, sometimes a rumor is just a rumor, and the "Bunheads" star quickly put a stop to hers with one social media post.

Sutton Foster is letting the Hugh Jackman affair rumors roll off her back. On December 11, 2023, she shared a happy family photo on Instagram with her husband, Ted Griffin, and their daughter Emily. "An amazing Sunday. A little Sondheim in the afternoon (thank you @92ndstreety!) and a Broadway opening at night! (Wow @ohiomusical!)," Foster captioned. In the pic, Griffin is holding Emily while the actor stands behind her husband with her hand lovingly placed on his arm.

According to Foster, she and Jackman are just close friends who have even spent time together with their respective families. "He has an impeccable reputation of being the hardest working man, incredibly kind, and generous — and all of that is true. He disarms everyone, and he doesn't make anything about him. And he's now become one of my best friends, which was a surprise because you usually go into these things thinking, 'Well, I hope we get along,'" Foster gushed to Vogue in 2022. She added, "But we just spent Memorial Day with our families. It's really fun to meet new friends after 40." Foster may be off the market, but there are plenty of other single Hollywood ladies for Jackman and he's reportedly ready to fall in love again.

News of Hugh Jackman and Debbora-Lee Furness' split came out of the blue, but according to an insider, there were red flags in their marriage, per New Idea. "[The relationship] was a slow dissolve into a strange co-dependent friendship that was doing more harm than good," the source shared. Those close to Jackman believe that he'll find love soon, as one stated: "Hugh likes being married and having a special partner. He wouldn't have stayed so long with Deb if he didn't have that with her." For the time being, Jackman is working on himself, but a source revealed, "Finding love again is one of his biggest priorities."

Furness is ready to move on from her marriage as well. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph (per Us Weekly), she mused, "You know what, change, transition, evolution is a little frightening and we are all a bit scared of it but I think it is probably our greatest gift. It is kind of exciting." As for Jackman, he was seen cozying up to his former "Van Helsing" co-star Kate Beckinsale at Wimbledon. Possible new couple alert? Fans will just have to wait and see.