Efforts by Hugh Jackman and his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness to rebuild a peaceful relationship have reportedly broken down dramatically. The cause is said to be the Wolverine star's very public new romance with actress Sutton Foster, which has proven too painful for Furness to witness.
From Truce to Tension: Public Displays Prove a Breaking Point
According to insiders speaking to New Idea magazine, a tentative truce agreed by the former couple in October 2023 has now ended. The breakdown followed Jackman's loved-up appearances with his new partner, Sutton Foster, the star of Younger. The source stated that Furness, 70, felt Jackman, 57, had taken their ceasefire as a 'green light' to parade his new relationship, putting her under pressure she was not ready to handle.
'Hugh and Sutton are everywhere right now – red carpets, concerts, even cuddling in the street,' the insider revealed. The situation was compounded last week when Jackman introduced Foster, 50, to his and Furness's shared circle of Australian friends in New York. The group, which included actress Kate Hudson, attended an Australian pub and a karaoke session after the Gotham Awards.
A Painful Scene for the Ex-Wife
Both Jackman and Foster posted footage online of the actor singing 'Sweet Caroline' with Hudson. For Furness, seeing her former friends socialising so warmly with her ex-husband's new partner was a bitter pill to swallow, even two years after the September 2023 separation that stunned Hollywood.
'That's hard for Deb to see... They're all her old friends too... to hear they were all singing Sweet Caroline together is just too much,' the source explained. 'She feels like she’s being rubbed out by people she was really close to.'
The final straw, the report claims, was Jackman's plan to bring Foster to Australia over the Christmas holidays. An insider said Furness had agreed to the October truce in hope of a peaceful family Christmas for their two children, but felt this move crossed a line. 'Hugh's expecting way too much and Deb has made it crystal clear she doesn't want the Hugh and Sutton snog show anywhere near her,' the source added.
A Brief Thaw After a 'Traumatic Betrayal'
This collapse in relations follows a period where the ex-couple appeared to be mending fences. After Furness described the end of their nearly 30-year marriage earlier this year as a 'traumatic betrayal', reports in October suggested they were finally on better terms following the finalisation of their divorce.
The pair had officially divorced in June 2024, a month after filing, with the judgment entered on June 12. Following the legal conclusion, insiders said both were open to an amicable friendship, having met several times in New York to talk. 'By all accounts things have improved dramatically, which is fantastic for everyone, most of all their kids,' a source told Radar Online at the time.
However, the recent very visible chapter of Jackman's life with Sutton Foster has seemingly undone that fragile progress, leaving the former golden couple's relationship once again strained.
