Hugh Jackman was taken aback by his estranged wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, speaking out about “betrayal” following her divorce filing, a source tells Us Weekly exclusively.
“Her statement took Hugh and mutual friends by surprise,” the insider shares, “because she wasn’t very direct with who she was speaking about but was alluding to Hugh, and that added emotional weight to it.”
While Jackman, 56, was “heartbroken” by Furness’ comments, according to the source, he does not plan to hit back.
“Hugh loves and respects Deborra-Lee. He will always love her and won’t allow it to get ugly,” the insider tells Us, adding that the actor is “hopeful in time they will heal and … be friends and resolve any misunderstandings.”
Furness, 69, released an icy statement on Tuesday, May 27, just four days after filing to end her 29-year marriage to Jackman.
“My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. It’s a profound wound that cuts deep,” she told the Daily Mail.
“However, I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us. This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage,” she continued. “I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience. Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose. It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom.”
Furness concluded her statement by cryptically saying “none of this is personal” and that she remains “grateful.”
The source tells Us that the former couple’s current relationship is “not ugly but is strained” and “getting more complicated,” as they “see things differently in terms of how things came to an end for them.”
Jackman and Furness, who share 25-year-old son Oscar and 19-year-old daughter Ava, first announced their breakup “with gratitude, love and kindness” in September 2023.
One year later, Us confirmed that the Greatest Showman star had started dating his Music Man costar Sutton Foster while still married to Furness.
“Sutton and Hugh’s relationship is the reason Hugh and Deb got divorced,” a Foster source claimed in November 2024. “A lot of people on Broadway knew, and we kept it quiet because both of them are so nice and great people. Everyone respected their privacy. But there was an affair and overlap.”
Foster, 50, was also married at the time, but she filed for divorce from her husband, screenwriter Ted Griffin, in October 2024.
The first insider insists Jackman and Furness were “separated” when he moved on with Foster, claiming the now-estranged spouses “had problems for a while.”
That said, “Deborra-Lee sees it differently because, even though they were separated, she may have hoped they would get back together,” per the source.
Jackman’s longtime friend, Australian radio personality Gus Worland, also recently confirmed that “last couple of years have been difficult” for the exes, though he said the Marvel star is “fine” and “moving on with his life.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Jackman’s rep for comment.
