Hugh Jackman's ex Deborra-Lee Furness hints at 'betrayal' as she files for divorce

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Deborra-Lee Furness has officially filed for divorce from Hugh Jackman nearly two years after the pair amicably separated, hinting that a “betrayal” ended their marriage.

“My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,” Furness, 69, said in a statement shared with the Daily Mail.

Furness called their split “a profound wound that cuts deep,” but said that her belief “in a higher power” has helped her “navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage.”

“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,” she said.

Furness also said that one of her takeaways from her divorce from Jackman was “that none of this is personal.”

“We are all on our individual journeys and I believe that the relationships in our lives are not random. We are drawn to people, we invite them in, in order to learn our lessons and to recognize and heal the broken parts of ourselves…I remain grateful,” Furness concluded.

Furness and Jackman announced their separation in September 2023 in a joint statement in which they pledged to undertake “this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.”

“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,” they said. 

In April of that year, Jackman celebrated their 27th anniversary with a tribute on Instagram.

“I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life,” he wrote. “Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humour, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.”

The couple met in 1995 while filming an Australian TV show when she was 40 and he was 27 and just starting out as an actor. They were married the next year and share two adopted children, Oscar, 25, and Ava, 19.

In a 2017 appearance on People TV’s The Jess Cagle Interview, Jackman said it was love at first sight when he met Furness on the set of their show and realized he had “a crush on my leading lady.”

“Deb, she was a big star. I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll never forget. She took off her seatbelt and she turned around and put out her hand and took off her sunglasses and said, ‘Hi, I’m Deborra-Lee Furness, nice to meet you.’ I remember thinking, ‘I like this girl,’” he recalled.

Jackman, who has moved on with Sutton Foster, was reportedly caught off guard by Furness’ statement of “betrayal” in announcing that she had filed for divorce.

Jackman met Foster, 50, in the early 2000s and the two became close during their run together in a Broadway revival of The Music Man in 2022.

“The best thing that’s happened out of this whole thing is that I’ve made a new friend, which you never anticipate,” she told PEOPLE of her friendship with Jackman in 2022. “We always joke that after 40, you don’t really make new friends! He’s a dream and so kind and talented and is even more generous. He’s pretty fantastic.”

After Jackman and Furness split in 2023, Foster filed for divorce from her husband Ted Griffin the following year. Earlier this year, the two seemingly confirmed their romance when they were spotted holding hands in Santa Monica.

In the wake of Furness’ statement, according to a report from the Daily Mail, Jackman is now “extremely disappointed” by her public comments. A source claimed that “there was an unwritten understanding that she would not trash him to the press.”

But Jackman’s childhood friend Gus Worland says the actor is now “moving on with his life.”

“I was over in New York with (Jackman) just last month and he’s fine,” Worland told Australia’s Ben Fordham Live breakfast radio show on Thursday. “He is going along well. He’s moving on with his life and I hope that Deb does as well.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com