The Reported Reason Hugh Jackman & Deborra-Lee Furness Split
There were a few signs that Hugh Jackman's and Deborra-Lee Furness' marriage wasn't going to last, but that didn't make the news that the Hollywood couple was splitting any less shocking. Jackman, who is best known for his roles in films like "Les Misérables" and "X-Men," shirked the Hollywood stereotype of older actors dating younger women when he tied the knot with Furness in 1996. Furness, a fellow actor and director, is 13 years Jackman's senior. The two were without a doubt, one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood. They somehow managed to remain down-to-earth while living in the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown, but reportedly spending more time together in recent years may have torn them apart.
In September 2023, Furness and Jackman surprised us all when they announced they were separating after 27 years of marriage. The announcement came in the form of a statement released to People: "We have been blessed to share almost three 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." Jackman and Furness went on to explain that the statement would be their only time touching upon the personal subject publicly and asked their fans for privacy at that moment.
Months after they released the statement, new details about the split have emerged, shining a light on the alleged reason why the longtime lovers went their separate ways. According to an insider, there was a definitive breaking point in their relationship that started with the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Their relationship dwindled into a 'friendship' before divorce
The onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 was an extremely difficult time for everyone. We often look at how health was impacted during that time, but there was also a very real impact on our relationship with others. Unfortunately, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness experienced this in a negative way. The strain from the COVID-19 lockdowns is reportedly one of the reasons why the marriage between Jackman and Furness deteriorated. It was at this time that love is said to have exited their marriage, morphing their once passionate relationship into a loveless, fragile friendship.
A source with the Daily Mail informed the outlet that the lockdowns took a serious toll on Jackman and his estranged wife. No specific details were given, but the close-quarters living situation proved to be a difficult adjustment for the former twosome. Despite this, the source stated that Jackman and Furness did their best to make things work between them, possibly for the sake of their two children, son Oscar and daughter Ava Jackman.
COVID-19 may have put more strain on their marriage, but there were years of dissatisfaction with their relationship to work through, the insider claimed. "They are forever linked, forever together with the children they have," the source stated. "But after the past few years, the love they had for each other turned more into a friendship which got broken during COVID, as the lockdown didn't help their marriage at all and really put a strain on their relationship."
The writers strike was the final straw
The lockdowns were just the beginning of Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness' marriage woes. The source with the Daily Mail disclosed that Jackman and Furness' relationship problems were further exacerbated by the writer strikes in Hollywood. The 2023 Writers Guild of America Strike lasted from May until September and involved thousands of writers joining forces to protest the encroaching threat of AI writing tools and unfair wages. The strike dealt a definitive blow to Hollywood, but there was an unfortunate side effect. It caused an enormous pause in the film and media industries, which impacted many actors, including Jackman. Superhero flick "Deadpool 3," which Jackman is set to star in as Wolverine, was forced to push its release date back almost three months as a result of the strike.
Another side effect of the writer's strike is its effect on the actor's marriage. The insider claimed, "The strikes haven't helped one bit, it got them in the same predicament as COVID did, to where they were just kicking the tires, and Hugh found it all to not have the same magic as they once had."
Jackman's representative has confirmed the claims about the breakdown of their marriage, while Furness is believed to share similar feelings about COVID-19 and the writer's strike's effect on their relationship. Divorce is a sad reality for many couples, but Jackman and Furness are a great example of how a couple can remain cordial to each other, even in the midst of it.