Hugh Jackman’s wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, has officially filed for divorce almost two years after they separated in September 2023. She described their split as “a profound wound that cuts deep.”
Furness had been married to the Wolverine actor for 27 years. They have two children together: Oscar, 25, and Ava, 20.
Jackman is in a new relationship with actor Sutton Foster, whom he has known since 2008. The pair started working together on the 2021 Broadway revival of “The Music Man.” In late 2024, it was rumored that they were dating after Foster filed for divorce from her husband, Ted Griffin. In January, Jackman and Foster went public with their relationship when they were photographed holding hands in LA.
Representatives for Jackman and Furness didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
As the former couple wait for their divorce to be finalized, here’s a timeline of their relationship.
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness met in 1995 on the set of an Australian TV show
The pair met on the set of the drama series “Correlli,” People reported. Jackman told the outlet there was an instant connection.
“I knew two weeks into meeting Deb that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives,” Jackman told “Today” in 2018.
A few weeks after meeting her, Jackman told People he confessed his feelings for Furness. She reciprocated, and four months later, he asked her to marry him.
“Deb, she was a big star,” Jackman told People in 2017. “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.'”
They got married in April 1996
On April 11, 1996, the couple tied the knot at a church outside of Melbourne, Australia, per People.
On their 25th wedding anniversary in 2021, Jackman shared a photo to Instagram captioned: “Being married to you Deb is as natural as breathing.”
“From nearly the moment we met … I knew our destiny was to be together,” his post continued. “In our 25 years – our love has only grown deeper. The fun, excitement and adventure more exhilarating; the learning even greater. I’m forever grateful to share our love, our life – and, our family together. We’ve only just begun. Deb, I love you with all my heart!”
After experiencing difficulty having children, Jackman and Furness adopted two kids, Oscar and Ava
“We struggled, a couple miscarriages, IVF — it’s not easy, particularly on Deb,” Jackman told People in 2017.
They adopted their son, Oscar, in 2000. They adopted their daughter, Ava, in 2005. Oscar is now 25, and Ava is now 19.
“Our motivation behind adopting was, ‘Where is the need?'” Jackman told People. “The biggest need is in mixed-race kids. I want to tell my kids that … it doesn’t matter what sexual [orientation] you are, it doesn’t matter what job you do, it doesn’t matter whether your hair is straight or curly, if you’re tall or short, man or woman, what race you are. What defines you as a human being is underneath all that.”
The couple’s last red-carpet appearance together was in May 2023
The pair made their final appearance as a couple at the 2023 Met Gala, where they walked the red carpet in coordinating black outfits.
Jackman wore a black tux, while Furness donned a floor-length gown with a mosaic pattern.
In September 2023, Jackman and Furness announced they were separating
Five months after celebrating their 27th anniversary, the pair announced their separation.
In a statement shared with People, the former couple called their 27 years together a “loving marriage” and said their “journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
At the time, they also said this would be their “sole statement” on the subject.
In May 2025, Deborra-Lee Furness filed for divorce and spoke about a ‘traumatic journey of betrayal’
After being separated for almost two years, Furness filed for divorce.
Business Insider confirmed that the divorce was filed on May 23, 2025 in New York.
Furness also filed a handful of other documents regarding child support, ongoing healthcare coverage, and affidavits for both parties, suggesting that the former couple has already figured out the finer details of the divorce away from the spotlight.
Four days later, on May 27, Furness shared a statement with the Daily Mail that read: “My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal.”
“It’s a profound wound that cuts deep, however, I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us. This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage,” she continued.
She ended the statement noting that the one thing she’s learned throughout her experience is that “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,” she added. “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.”
Libby Torres and Jordan Parker Erb contributed to a previous version of this story.
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