What Deborra-Lee Furness Has Said About Her Split From Hugh Jackman
When Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announced their separation in September 2023, they vowed to prioritize their privacy during the process. In a statement shared with People, they reflected on their 27-year marriage and noted the reason behind the split. "Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth," they said before adding this was all we were going to get. "This is the sole statement either of us will make."
By and large, they have stayed true to their word, shrouding the end of their union in mystery and speculation. In November, the Daily Mail noted that the soon-to-be ex-couple had unfollowed each other on Instagram, with Furness going so far as to set her page to private. Could this mean Jackman and Furness' divorce is messier than we thought? It's unclear, but sources close to the "X-Men" contend it isn't. "[T]hey still maintain a happy and cordial friendship," an insider told Entertainment Tonight in October. "They only want the best for one another."
Indeed, the two have stressed they would always protect what they built together. "Our family has been and always will be our highest priority," they said in their statement. Jackman and Furness share two grown-up children, Oscar and Ava Jackman, whom they're both close with. "They are appreciative of their many years together and children and there is no animosity between them," the ET source assured. However, Furness has since given a bit more insight in her mindset following the split.
Deborra-Lee Furness says future is 'exciting' but 'frightening'
Deborra-Lee Furness is looking forward to what her life post-divorce will be. "It is kind of exciting," she told The Daily Telegraph in January. Since splitting from Hugh Jackman, Furness returned to acting after an eight-year hiatus, snagging a role in the thriller "Force of Nature: The Dry 2" alongside Eric Bana. "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," Furness detailed.
Furness' return to the big screen marks a new beginning and also the end of an important chapter. "I haven't worked in a while, I've been raising a family," she told Nine.Com.Au in February. Ava Jackman, her youngest, turned 18 in July, putting an end to her and Jackman's child-rearing years two months before they separated. According to Australian entertainment insider Peter Ford, this is unsurprising. "It's not the most uncommon scenario for a couple in their 50s and 60s that once the kids are off their hands, they decide the glue that held this together isn't there anymore," he said.
Furness has previously addressed how all-consumed she was by her children. "They're my entire world," she told News.Com.Au in 2019. And she wasn't just busy raising them. After adopting both, Furness became an activist working to improve adoption laws. Now with only adult children to cheer on and no husband around, it looks like Furness is ready to focus on herself again.
Jackman and Furness reportedly grew apart during COVID-19 and strikes
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness may very well have felt the effects of empty nest syndrome, but their marriage had reportedly been rocky for quite a long time. And it all came crashing down during the COVID-19 pandemic. "After the past few years, the love they had for each other turned more into a friendship which got broken during COVID, as the lockdown didn't help their marriage at all and really put a strain on their relationship," a source told the Daily Mail in September.
And it continued to get worse during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which halted production of Jackman's "Deadpool 3." According to the insider, Jackman and Furness were trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel when the strikes happened. "They worked on it and couldn't get it back," the source said. "The strikes haven't helped one bit, it got them in the same predicament as COVID did, to where they were just kicking the tires."
While the two events brought it all to the surface, the issues were already there. Ultimately, the marriage ended because Jackman and Furness simply grew apart and became "roommates" rather than husband and wife. "[It was] a long time coming," a source told Page Six. Those around the couple weren't at all surprised that Jackman and Furness decided to go their separate ways. "It happened a while ago. Friends and family knew about it," the insider said.