Hugh Jackman has paid a loving tribute to a deceased family member days after announcing his shock split from wife Deborra-Lee Furness after 27 years of marriage.
The 67-year-old actress and the 54-year-old actor announced it in a press release on Friday. that they had separated after 27 years of marriage, saying they moved forward “with gratitude, love and kindness.”
On Wednesday, the Wolverine star posted a birthday message to the family’s beloved dog, Dali, who died in August last year.
In the photo, shared on her Instagram Story, the French bulldog was sitting on the back cushion of a sofa in their home.
“Happy birthday Dali!” » he wrote alongside the photo.
Hugh Jackman (left) paid a loving tribute to a family member days after announcing his shock split from wife Deborra-Lee Furness (right) after 27 years of marriage
Dali died in 2022, just a month before his 12th birthday.
Jackman and his ex-wife, Furness, adopted Dali in 2010. They also have another dog named Allegra.
The tribute comes less than a week after Jackman and Furness announced their separation.
In a statement released Friday, Jackman and Furness said, “We have been fortunate to share nearly three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful and loving marriage. Our journey is now changing and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,” the couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE.
On Wednesday, the Wolverine star posted a birthday message to the family’s beloved dog, Dali, who died in August last year.
“Our family has been and always will be our biggest priority. We begin this next chapter with gratitude, love and kindness,” he continued.
“We greatly appreciate your understanding of respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.”
The former couple signed the statement as “Deb and Hugh Jackman,” adding, “This is the only statement either of us will make.”
The Australian couple share two children together; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18.
Furness was seen for the first time since the couple’s shock split was announced while having lunch with friends in New York on Tuesday.
Furness, 67, and Jackman, 54, announced in a statement Friday that they had separated after 27 years of marriage, saying they move forward “with gratitude, love and kindness” (April 2023 photo) .
She looked jovial during her meal with her pals and, following in her ex Hugh’s footsteps, she was seen to have removed her wedding ring.
Jackman briefly spoke to paparazzi on the street Saturday and admitted that he and his soon-to-be ex-wife were struggling with their separation.
As he walked down the street, he revealed that “it’s a tough time,” but refused to discuss the breakup further.
Last April, the couple had just celebrated their anniversary and Jackman posted a heartfelt tribute to his wife on Instagram.
“I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years! I love you so much,” the actor wrote in his caption.
“Together we created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your wit, your generosity, your humor, your insolence, your courage and your loyalty are an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart,” he shared in a heartfelt message.
Jackman has never been shy about talking about his marriage and praised Furness while promoting his hit film The Greatest Showman in 2017.
In an interview, he called Furness his “best friend” and main source of support in his career and personal life.
In 2000, the Music Man actor and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, and in 2005, they adopted daughter Ava Eliot, now 18.
In fact, Deborra-Lee had already made 20 films by the time she and Jackman met while playing a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged inmate in the 10-episode series Correlli d ABC in 1995.
Jackman said of his partner: “I’m married to the greatest woman in the world. She is incredible. We are best friends and we share everything. She is intelligent.’
Speaking about how they never spend more than two weeks apart, he explained that it’s because they want to “share everything” together.
He continued: “We always said we would never spend more than two weeks apart. Sometimes life and work get crazy.
“But we met at my first job when she was already a big star, I was a nobody. So we shared everything, all the ups and downs, and we always will.
It was only weeks after they started dating that Hugh asked Deborra-Lee to marry him, and the couple married in 1996.