Hugh Jackman’s ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness had “suspicions” about him working with stage and TV actor Sutton Foster in a Broadway revival of “The Music Man,” according to a report.
Furness’s reported concerns now appear to have been validated with reports that Jackman, 56, and Foster, 49, are “100% together” and “in love,” with plans to spend “the rest of their lives together.” Reports also suggest that Jackman and Foster’s romance began in the waning years of his 27-year marriage to Furness, 68.
Jackman and Foster starred together in “The Music Man,” which ran from late 2021 to early 2023. Nine months later, Jackman and Furness stunned the entertainment world by announcing the end of their marriage.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness attend “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala – O at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
“Deborra-Lee had her suspicions when Hugh started working with Sutton,” a source told the Daily Mail on Saturday. “Their relationship is not a secret to her.”
Furness, who shares adopted children Oscar, 24, and Ava, 19, with Jackman, will not address speculation about his reported relationship with Foster, the Daily Mail said. The speculation has reportedly been brewing in New York theater circles for quite some time, but burst into the tabloids last week when Page Six and other outlets revealed that the Tony Award-winning Foster had filed for divorce from screenwriter Ted Griffin after 10 years of marriage — “amid buzz” that she is now dating Jackman.
“Deborra-Lee wants to be left out of this narrative,” the source told the Daily Mail. “She is not going to address this or speak against Hugh.”
“When they divorced, they agreed to keep everything that happened during their marriage private,” the source also said.
A second source added that Jackman has stopped mourning the end of his marriage to Furness, while Foster is likewise “over” her marriage to Griffin, meaning that Jackman and Foster “are getting closer to making it official.”
‘They aren’t going to shove it down everyone’s throat,” the second source said. “They became close friends while working together and got to confide in each other over their individual troubles.”
“Hugh still has tremendous respect for Deborra-Lee,” the second source continued. “They have kids and that is what is important to them both. They are repairing what they can, and will never talk ill about each other.”
In Touch Weekly first reported back in April that the romance was “an open secret” on Broadway. At that time, Jackman was still technically married to Furness, though the two were separated. For her part, Foster was still married to Griffin, whom she wed in Santa Barbara in 2014 in a gown she picked out on the TLC show, “Say Yes to the Dress.” Foster and Griffin are parents to a daughter, 6, whom they adopted together.
Foster apparently couldn’t resist the charms of the handsome, famously toned, 6-foot-2-inch Australian actor, according to In Touch. A source told In Touch that she was “absolutely giddy” around him after she was cast to play Marian the Librarian, the love interest of conman Harold Hill in the “The Music Man.” Jackman, meanwhile, “was besotted with Sutton from the moment he met her. He followed her around like a puppy!”
Foster reportedly admitted that she and Jackman “became close” while sharing rehearsal space during the show’s production, In Touch reported. They also made notable red carpet appearances together, looking very much like a couple when they attended the Tony Awards in June 2022 at Radio City Music Hall.
“The Music Man” closed in January 2023, and Jackman and Furness subsequently announced their separation. At the time, Page Six reported that the divorce for the New York City-based Australian couple was “a long time coming.”
The separation announcement was amicable and polite, with Jackman and Furness saying they had “been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage.” They also spoke about how their “journey” is “shifting” and they “have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
Now, it appears that Jackman’s pursuit of “individual growth” involves Foster, with a source telling Page Six: “They are 100 percent together and are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together.”