Deborra-Lee Furness Steps Out After Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster Debut

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Deborra-Lee Furness is carrying on just fine. 

Approximately a week and a half after Australian actress Sutton Foster was publicly seen with her ex, Hugh Jackman, they were spotted attending the Australian Open together with their 19-year-old daughter, Ava.

On the tennis event on January 14, Deborra-Lee donned a vibrant purple coat and sported blue-tinted sunglasses. The 69-year-old was snapped showing enthusiasm during the face-off between Daniil Medvedev and Kasidit Samrej—with Medvedev emerging victorious. Her daughter watched just as intently from the sidelines.

On the same day, a mother-daughter outing took place, while Hugh, who is Deborra-Lee’s co-parent of their 23-year-old son Oscar, was publicly displaying affection with his new girlfriend. Just a few days prior, Hugh and Sutton were spotted together at an In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles on January 12th, openly showing their affection towards each other.

As I eagerly waited in the drive-thru line with my new partner, we shared a spontaneous kiss, an intimate moment captured by the Daily Mail’s photographers. In one of these images, the young star from The Younger, who is the proud parent of Emily, aged 5, with her ex Ted Griffin, was seen tenderly holding Hugh’s face before our lips met in a loving kiss.

On January 6th, Hugh and Sutton publicly acknowledged their relationship by strolling together hand-in-hand in Santa Monica, California, following a quiet dinner date. This new romance arises only three months after Sutton filed for divorce from Ted. It’s worth noting that Hugh and Deborra-Lee announced their separation back in September 2023, marking the end of their 27-year marriage.

Even though they only recently made their romantic appearance, Hugh and Sutton have shown a strong connection ever since they shared the stage in ‘The Music Man’ on Broadway from 2022 to 2023.

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In 2022, Sutton praised Hugh to Vogue as someone who has an unmatched work ethic, is exceptionally kind and generous – and that’s no exaggeration, she said. What was unexpected, however, was that he’s since become one of my closest friends. And spending Memorial Day with our families only served to strengthen this new friendship. It’s delightful to make new friends after 40!

Continue reading to delve deeply into the progression of Hugh and Sutton’s bond, culminating in their romantic introduction.

Around two decades prior to their collaboration in “The Music Man”, Hugh Jackman attended one of Sutton Foster’s performances in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” – a show that earned her her first Tony Award. As she reminisced to Broadway.com in May 2022, she has photographic proof of this early encounter and had met him on several occasions before, but they hadn’t officially worked together until their later project.

In my expert opinion, when I graced the stage as the enchanting Princess Fiona in “Shrek the Musical,” Hugh Jackman was kind enough to attend the show. Backstage, we took a memorable photo with my fellow cast members, none other than John Tartaglia and Christopher Sieber.

2014 Tony Awards brought Jackman and Foster back together, with him hosting and dancing with her among the Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical nominees. The following day, Foster posted on Instagram about this unexpected encounter, simply saying, “This transpired.

Although Foster wasn’t seen in Jackman’s 2017 film The Greatest Showman, she disclosed that she had worked on the project briefly. In fact, as the alum of Younger shared with Broadway.com, they participated in a few workshops together, but it was only for a couple of days at a time.

In March 2019, it was disclosed that Jackman had been chosen to play Harold Hill in The Music Man. A few days later, he shared a nostalgic photo of them from the 2014 Tonys and posted on social media, “Next time we dance… Sutton Foster will be playing Marian.

In March 2020, the actors famous from “X-Men” and “Bunheads” held their initial workshop for “The Music Man”. Unfortunately, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, Broadway theaters had to shut down, leading to the show’s opening being rescheduled.

In October 2021, Jackman unveiled the start date for rehearsals on his Instagram for the musical The Music Man. Later, Foster shared a video of the cast members during week three of their preparations, and Jackman himself posted a dance practice clip in December. At the time, Jackman wrote on Instagram, “There are many who’ve contributed to this moment, but there’s one I specifically want to acknowledge – @suttonlenore. This show wouldn’t be possible without you. You’re an extraordinary talent and companion. Your energy brightens the entire cast of . I can’t wait for everyone to witness you as ‘Marian’. They are in for a treat!

In the chilly month of February 2022, I had the privilege of attending the grand opening night of “The Music Man.” Standing alongside the inimitable Hugh Jackman on the crimson-hued carpet, we flashed smiles for the cameras. The next day, I took to Instagram to express my feelings: “What an honor it was to share the stage with you. You are simply extraordinary!”

Initially, there was a hint of trepidation as Foster and Jackman prepared to collaborate. However, what started as professional partnership soon blossomed into a beautiful friendship.

49-year-old Foster shared with Vogue in June 2022 that Jackman is a man known for his tireless work ethic, kindness, and generosity, and these qualities are indeed true. Jackman has a way of disarming people, never making things about himself, and has now become one of her closest friends, which was unexpected as friendships often begin with hopeful anticipation rather than certainty. They recently spent Memorial Day together, which added to the joy of meeting new friends in their 40s.

Foster’s daughter Emily, whom she adopted in 2017 with Ted Griffin, even refers to Jackman as “Uncle Hugh.” In an interview with Broadway.com in May 2022, Foster shared that Emily often asks about Jackman, and he has become a beloved member of the family.

Jackman and Foster continued to revel in the show’s triumph, and in May 2022, they graced the red carpet at the 2022 Drama League Awards. There, Jackman was honored with the Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre award, while Foster took home the Distinguished Performance Award. In a heartwarming gesture, Jackman announced Foster’s win to the audience during one of their shows.

On Instagram, May 21st, Foster praised Jackman, saying, “He’s a gem… Last night, he stopped the curtain call at @musicmanbway to make a special announcement because he had ‘something very special’ to tell everyone.”

The following month, they attended the 2022 Tony Awards, where the musical “The Music Man” received six nominations.

The musical “The Music Man” concluded its run in January 2023, but that wasn’t the only significant event of the year. In September, it was announced that Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, who had been married for 27 years, were separating. The couple, who starred together in “Corelli,” released a joint statement to People on September 15, 2023, saying, “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.” Jackman and Furness are parents to two adult children, Oscar and Ava.

The ex-couple emphasized that their loved ones have, and will forever remain, their most important concern. As they embark on this new phase, they do so with a sense of gratitude, affection, and compassion. They humbly ask for your empathy as they shield their family from public scrutiny while adapting to these life changes together.

Jackman and Furness stated, “We will only make this statement,” suggesting they had no further comments to share. Despite this, it seemed their friendship remained strong, as evidenced by his representative confirming to Page Six that they celebrated Jackman’s 55th birthday together at the Polo Bar in New York City that October, and the evening was reportedly delightful.

Reflecting on the past year, Furness shared her realization about her personal growth, saying, “[I found out] I am robust and adaptable,” as she told People magazine in May 2024. “Moreover, we’re all continually transforming.

 

In October 2024, Foster filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years.

Following speculations about their relationship, Jackman and Foster seemed to validate the rumors as they were spotted holding hands in Santa Monica, California on January 6 (view the images here). This encounter took place just two days after Jackman attended Foster’s performance of “Once Upon a Mattress” in L.A., as captured in photos shared by Deux Moi.

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2025-01-14 18:49