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Actor Hugh Jackman and wife Deborah Lee Furness arrive at the Oscars at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California.  (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)© Jason Merritt

Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness split after 27 years

'Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,' the pair said

Rebecca Lewis
Rebecca Lewis - Los Angeles
Los Angeles correspondentLos Angeles
Updated: September 15, 2023
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Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-lee Furness have ended their marriage after 27 years.

"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 said in a statement shared with People.

Hugh Jackman in a black suit and his wife in striped tights© Getty
Hugh Jackman and his wife in 2022

The pair are parents to two children, Oscar, 23 and 18-year-old daughter Ava. 

"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," they continued, signing off: "Deb and Hugh Jackman."

Hugh Jackman holding an award and kissing Deborra-Lee Furness in a feathered dress© Getty
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee kiss after Hugh won his Tony award

Their love story was thought to be one of Hollywood's most enduring, after they met on set of the Australian drama Corelli in 1995; Hugh has often shared how he knew Deborra-Lee was the one for him two weeks into knowing her.

Hugh, 54, told People magazine previouly: "I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll never forget. 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.'"

He proposed four months later,  popping the question in Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens.

"My plan was to propose halfway through breakfast and I thought, 'Forget that! So I have to do it now! I need to do it now!'" he told Woman's Day. "It had been raining, and finally the sun came out, and I didn't have a line! I was thinking: 'Come on, come on, come on, you've got to come up with something, this is a once-in-a-lifetime, you've got to come up with a line.' 

"I said, 'Baby, look the sun's come out - it's almost perfect!' and she says: 'What do you mean? It is perfect!' And I said, 'Well, it will be if you marry me!' And I pulled out the ring."

View post on Instagram
 

They exchanged vows on April 11, 1996 in Melbourne, and the pair's sepcial day saw Deborra-lee wearing a white satin jumpsuit, and Hugh opting for a sharp black suit with a white shirt.

In an essay he wrote for The Father Hood: Inspiration for the New Dad Generation, published by WHO magazine, Hugh shared that he and Deborra-lee did everything by ookijng each other in the eyes ans asking: "Is this good for our family?"

"Before we had kids, Deb and I made a pretty simple but powerful choice to look each other in the eye at every crossroads in life," he wrote. 

"But at those moments, we said we'd ask each other, 'Is this good or bad for our marriage?' Or, now that we've got kids, 'Is this good or bad for our family?' And as often as possible, we do the thing that is good for our family."

Together they also supported each other as Hugh has undergone several surgeries for skin cancer. The actor has had several carcinomas removed from his nose, the most recent in April 2023when he shared an Instagram video after having two new biopsies on lesions on his nose. 

Hugh Jackman details his recent cancer scare

In April, on their 27th wedding anniversary, Hugh paid a loving tribute to the mother of his children, writing: "I love you so much. 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." 

They were last seen together at the men's Wimbledon final in London, in July 2023.

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