The strikingly long and intimate history of Hugh Jackman and his new girlfriend Sutton Foster has been revealed, casting a long shadow over the actor’s increasingly tense divorce from ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness.
Fans have put the timeline of Jackman’s budding romance with Foster under renewed scrutiny after images resurfaced showing the pair cuddling backstage in 2008 at a showing of Shrek the Musical in New York City.
Highlights
- Photos from 2008 reveal Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster shared intimate moments while both were married to others.
- Deborra-Lee Furness cited betrayal and an emotional affair with Foster as key reasons for her divorce from Jackman.
- Jackman's reputation seems to have taken a temporary hit, with fans saying they've 'lost all respect for him.'
At the time, both stars were still married: Jackman to Furness, and Foster to her first husband, actor Christian Borle.
“No wonder he’s ticked off, they have been exposed as being cheaters for years,” a former fan wrote. “This will definitely impact their careers. Lost any and all respect for Jackman.”
2008 photos of Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster resurface amid his tense divorce from ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness
Image credits: thehughjackman / Instagram
Another intimate moment that gained renewed significance occurred at the 68th Annual Tony Awards in 2014.
The chemistry between Jackman and Foster was on full display as the pair performed an elegant waltz in front of fellow A-listers—sharing smiles, laughs, and intimate body language that, in hindsight, seems to have hinted at deeper feelings.
“They were leaning into each other, completely lost in their own moment,” a witness recalled. “It didn’t look like just a performance.”
Image credits: thehughjackman / Instagram
Though the pair didn’t become romantically linked until October 2024, their bond had already been forged through years in the same theatre circles and deepened during their acclaimed 2022 run in The Music Man.
Image credits: thehughjackman / Instagram
“They were both with other people at the time, but it was clear there was a deep connection,” an insider told Life & Style.
For many fans, however, that connection may have caused more than just behind the scenes rumors, but also legitimate problems for each of their marriages.
Furness confirmed that the divorce was due in part to a "betrayal" that damaged the relationship's boundaries
Image credits: Bruce Glikas / Getty Images
Deborra-Lee Furness officially filed for divorce earlier this year after what sources described as an “emotionally devastating period.”
For the 69-year-old actress and producer, the decision to divorce Jackman was in part due to her belief in him having an “emotional affair” with Foster long before their marriage formally ended.
Image credits: Heather Wines / Getty Images
“She felt betrayed. She gave nearly three decades of her life to that relationship,” a source told news outlets.
Image credits: Jenny Anderson / Getty Images
Not long after, Furness herself confirmed that betrayal played a role in the marriage’s unraveling without going into explicit details.
“My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,” she wrote in an emotional statement released this week. “It’s a profound wound that cuts deep.”
Image credits: thehughjackman / Instagram
Despite the pain she felt, the actress said the experience helped her gain a renewed sense of spiritual clarity.
“Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose,” she said, adding that the ordeal allowed her to “return to integrity, values, and boundaries” that had presumably been damaged over the course of her relationship with Jackman.
Jackman uploaded a clip to social media with the caption "finally," which some viewers interpreted as a celebration
Image credits: thehughjackman / Instagram
Jackman, on the other hand, raised eyebrows on social media with a cryptic Instagram post that was labeled as “rubbing salt in the wound” by some fans.
In a video shared with his 34.1 million followers, the 56-year-old actor showed off an intense jump rope routine set to NSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye, with a caption that read “finally.”
Image credits: thehughjackman / Instagram
While some fans assumed the clip was a nod to Deadpool & Wolverine, which features the song in its soundtrack, the timing—just hours after Furness went public with her statement—left many convinced that the post was a direct, and insensitive, response to his now ex-wife.
Insiders added fuel to the fire of speculation, confirming that Foster had slowly been “migrating her things” into Jackman’s luxury New York penthouse—the same home that, according to sources, Deborra-Lee had “poured her soul into.”
Image credits: thehughjackman / Instagram
The same anonymous sources assured outlets that Jackman and Foster are now “living together,” and that they are “inseparable.”
While the emotional aspect of Jackman’s divorce remains unresolved, the legal side of things seems to have reached resolution. Furness reportedly received a “handsome spousal support payment.”
Jackman’s reputation, on the other hand, seems to have taken a hit for the time being.
“Seems he’s not the lovely chap he's always portrayed himself as,” one user wrote.
"Lost all respect for him." Hugh Jackman's reputation seems to have taken a temporary hit
