Hugh Jackman has been making headlines recently, but not for the reason anybody expected…
The hunky Australian actor sadly announced his separation from Deborra-Lee Furness, his wife of almost 30 years.
Finally, the ‘Wolverine’ actor has spoken out about the upsetting turn of events, and it will break your heart.
How did they meet?
Jackman and Furness first met in 1995, while filming the Australian TV series ‘Correlli’. At the time, Jackman was 27, and Furness was 40. The two began dating a short time after.
“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,’” Jackman recalled.
Despite Furness’ initial hesitation about their 13-year age difference (she’d apparently tried to break up with Jackman because of this) the couple married April 11, 1996, less than a year after they first crossed paths.
The pair become parents
In 2000, Jackman and Furness adopted a son, Oscar, and in 2005, they adopted their daughter, Ava, given that Furness had previously suffered two miscarriages.
When the couple celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in April, Jackman shared a sweet photo of the couple along with a touching message to Furness.
“I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 YEARS!! I love you so much,” he captioned a photo of them smiling. “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. I love you with all my heart.”
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Announcing their separation
Not long afterwards, however, the couple announced they’d separated.
“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 shared in a joint statement with People in early September.
“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.”
Hugh speaks out
While Jackman and Furness have, until now, kept relatively quiet about their shock split, the ‘Greatest Showman’ actor was recently approached by TMZ for a comment while out in New York City over the weekend.
When asked about the deterioration of his marriage, Jackman simply responded that it was “a difficult time” for everyone involved. “I appreciate your thoughts, thank you,” he added, before declining further requests to discuss his relationship further with reporters.
What a tough time for Hugh, Deborra-Lee, and their two children – they definitely deserve to have all the privacy they need right now.
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