Hugh Jackman may spend some of the Christmas holidays either without his two children or his rumored new girlfriend, Sutton Foster, because his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness isn’t ready to created a “blended,” “modern-family” dynamic with all of them celebrating together.
The 56-year-old Jackman reportedly wanted to introduce Foster, 49, to his adult children, Oscar, 24, and Ava,19, but Furness is not “keen” on the idea, Woman’s Day reported.
“It’s going to take more time for loved ones to adjust to the new normal and so that means Hugh and Sutton are bracing themselves for way less time together than they’d like during the holidays,” an insider told Woman’s Day.
Even without saying anything publicly, Furness, 68, has reportedly made it clear that she’s not happy with how her marriage ended. A report last month said she appeared to confirm a social media post that said that Jackman’s alleged backstage affair with Foster, his co-star in the hit Broadway revival of “The Music Man,” is the reason behind their divorce after 27 years of marriage.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness attend “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala – O at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)
For that reason, Furness feels like Jackman is “moving on quickly” even after she “gave so much of herself to their marriage,” the Woman’s Day source said. She definitely doesn’t want a “blended” Christmas, in which she’d presumably include Foster and even her 7-year-old daughter in their family celebrations.
“Hugh and Sutton would love to get together with their kids for the holidays, but it’s still awkward, and Hugh is conscious of respecting Deb’s feelings,” the source said.
Tensions are “still simmering,” according to Woman’s Day. “Deb feels like Hugh hasn’t properly acknowledged the hurt he caused by moving on so quickly,” the insider also said.
Jackman and Furness shocked fans when they announced their separation in September 2023. One of a few Hollywood couples known for a long and seemingly happy marriage, they issued a statement that sounded polite and amicable, saying that their journey together was “shifting,” and they had “decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
But then came reports in October, saying that Jackman had developed a “close relationship” with Sutton when they starred together in “The Music Man,” which ran from late 2021 to January 2023 at the Winter Garden Theatre in Manhattan. At the time, both were married to other people.
The reports about a rumored affair began as soon as the Tony Award-winning Foster filed for divorce from screenwriter Ted Griffin after 10 years of marriage. A source close to Foster told Us Weekly: “Sutton and Hugh’s relationship is the reason Hugh and Deb (separated).”
In October, gossip blogger Tasha Lustig also said that Furness was “blindsided” by her husband’s romance with his co-star, even after she had given her “whole life and career to him,” Us Weekly also reported. Lustig said that the Broadway stars were planning to “soft launch” their relationship publicly.
But even if Furness was “blindsided” by her husband’s alleged romance, she had concerns about him working with Foster, the Daily Mail reported. A source told the Daily Mail that the relationship was “not a secret to her.”
The relationship also was “not a secret” among the New York theater community. It was in fact an “open secret” in Broadway circles, multiple reports said.
The romance allegedly developed while Jackman and Foster were working together on the classic musical comedy, which is set in small-town America at the turn of the 20th century. His conman and her librarian fall in love through a series of music and dance numbers.
As Jackman and Foster promoted the show, they didn’t hide their regard for each other. During a 2022 interview on “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” Foster admitted that she and Jackman developed a very close bond and explained how they started a pre-performance ritual that took place when they were alone in her dressing room.
“We call it carpet chat,” Foster revealed in the interview.
Woman’s Day reported that Jackman and Furness’s children are handling the upheaval with “remarkable maturity.” The source said, “They just want peace and happiness for their parents. But they’re definitely aware of the tension.”
Meanwhile, Jackman and Foster are “shocked by the backlash,” another insider told Woman’s Day. With a blended family Christmas off the table, the new couple are reportedly planning a romantic getaway in the New Year.
“They’re determined to make it work, but for now, they’re trying to keep things as low-key as possible out of respect for everyone involved,” the source said.
