Why Did Hugh Jackman, Deborra-Lee Furness Divorce?
Nearly three decades together and they just announced their separation. Fans are wondering why Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness are separating after the surprise statement.
Hugh and Deborra-Lee married on April 11, 1997 and have two kids together Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18. Hugh made a touching Instagram post for his wife to celebrate their 27th anniversary. “I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.”
Deborra revealed the secret on their long-lasting marriage to People, “We meditate together and sometimes we have friends over to do it, too. It’s a lovely Sunday-morning thing. Everyone comes over, and then we have breakfast.”
In Deadpool & Wolverine, Deadpool (played by Ryan Reynolds) joked that, “He’s usually shirtless, but he’s let himself go since the divorce.” Jackman’s character Wolverine hasn’t been divorced, but he just went through one IRL.
So why did Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness separate? Read more to find out.
Why are Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness separating?
Why are Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee-Furness separating? The two made a statement to People on September 15, 2023.
“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 wrote.
“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.” The statement concluded: “This is the sole statement either of us will make.”
A source explained to Page Six that while the public was shocked to hear of Jackman and Furness’ split, it could have been coming for longer than we thought. A Broadway insider said, “It happened a while ago. Friends and family knew about it.”
The two met when they co-starred in the Australian TV show Corelli. “Deb, she was a big star…I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll never forget,” Hugh recalled to People. “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.’”
Everyone else on the crew had the same idea. “She was the star. I had this major crush on her,” Jackman told Ellen DeGeneres in 2016. “Everyone did. The whole crew had a crush on her.” Jackman later admitted his feelings for Furness and the couple got married about a year later.
On the key to a long-lasting marriage, Hugh gushed about meeting his wife. Literally from day one, Deb and I had that feeling. It was like a relief. I could just be myself,” he told TODAY. “I am not saying we don’t ever dress up or impress each other, but being comfortable is a key.”
Just a month prior, Jackman told Smooth Radio about the secret to a happy, long-lasting marriage. “I think honesty and intimacy and making time. You can’t just assume that things will just tick along. You have to make time. And intimacy is about really sharing what you’re going through, feelings and checking in with the other person, checking in what they need from you, checking in, how they’re doing, checking and beyond,” he said.
He continued: “Just because it’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of life. That’s hard enough. Kids, school runs, whatever it is, sleepless nights, it’s tiring. So you have to be checking in with each other. We have time together every morning, so we make sure of that as the day can get away from you. And sometimes in the evening, I’m sorry, that’s not the best version of me by the evening. I’m tired, I want to check out. I run out of words for the day. They say men have 2,000 words a day.”
Since the divorce, Page Six reported that Jackman was “devastated” about the split, but the ex-couple have remained cordial. “He’s spoken to Deb and they’ve seen each other,” a separate insider told Page Six. “They speak pretty regularly.”
Who are Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness’ children?
As mentioned, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness have two adopted children together: Oscar Maximillian, born on May 15, 2000; and Ava Eliot, born on July 10, 2005.
In an interview with Radio Times in February 2023, Jackman confessed that having children was challenging at times. “You fall in love with someone and you work out your relationship, it’s great! All of a sudden, we had kids,” he said. The way I was parented, the way she was parented… all of a sudden… whoosh! And it wasn’t just Deb and I, it was somehow our pasts coming together.” He continued: “We had really different ideas about being a parent. And we never really pre-discussed it. We just assumed: we love each other, we don’t argue, that’s going to be fine!”
Jackman went on to describe how his film The Son left him deeply affected as a family man. The film is about Peter (Jackman) whose hectic life gets further upended when his ex-wife tells him their teenage son, Nicholas, is deeply troubled. He soon tries to take care of Nicholas the same way he would have wanted his own father to have taken care of him.
Even his children noticed the strain. He revealed: “My wife said to me, ‘You’re the last person I would describe as a hot mess. But during this, you have been a hot mess.’ My sleep was off. I don’t think I thought so at the time, but I look back now and see that there was a real parallel to what [my character] Peter was going through”. He added: “Both my kids would notice a difference [in me] for sure!”
He expanded on this during an interview with Deadline, speaking about what he gained personally from the role. “I certainly have learned a lot about vulnerability as a parent. The idea of not knowing. The idea of admitting. I mean, I have a 17 and 22-year-old. So, the idea of leading with … I’m not hiding from them my vulnerabilities or my doubt or my worry,” he said.
“Just recently, I remember I was worried about something with one of my kids and I could see the look on their face, and I could see that they thought I was disappointed. That’s what I was reading. My son walked off and I went downstairs, and I said, “I get that feeling you think I’m disappointed, but I’m just worried.” And we ended up having really good conversation. And I think prior to this movie, I would’ve thought, that’s not helpful for them. That actually, what they need is strength and surety and a kind of feeling that, ‘My dad knows what to do.’ That feeling. But actually, I realize that doesn’t help. And it’s OK to have these discussions.”
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