Australian golden couple Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness shocked fans when they announced their divorce on Friday after 27 years of marriage.
The news seemed to come out of nowhere, but there may have been signs that the former couple was heading for divorce.
On September 5, Deborra-Lee, 67, attended the US Open in New York without Hugh by her side.
The actress was accompanied by her good friend Huma Abedin, who is best known for being vice chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for president of the United States.
Furness was not wearing her wedding ring and was noticeably less animated than Abedin, who smiled and laughed a lot.
Deborra-Lee Furness (right) attended the US Open without her wedding ring or husband Hugh Jackman, just two weeks before their shock split
The couple shocked fans when they announced their divorce on Friday after 27 years of marriage. (Photo together in May)
The Angel Baby actress was more focused on the competition and her food, but at one point she was seen engrossed in her cell phone.
She looked cool but comfortable in a flowy white shirt and placed her platinum blonde locks in a messy bun.
The mother of two wore minimal makeup and accessorized with cool jewelry.
Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness’ marriage was left ‘devastated’ by the COVID pandemic, according to an insider who claimed the ongoing writers’ strike had further exacerbated their marital rift.
The Australian couple, parents to son Oscar, 23, and daughter Ava, 18, announced in a joint statement on Friday that they are ending their marriage after almost three decades.
Instead of having Hugh by her side, the actress was accompanied by her good friend Huma Abedin (left)
Furness was not wearing her wedding ring and was noticeably less animated than Abedin, who smiled and laughed a lot
At one point, the actress stared at her plate of food while Huma chatted with another friend
Lockdown put a strain on their relationship, and despite their best efforts to save their marriage, the couple decided the ‘best option’ was to part as friends.
“They are forever connected, forever together with the children they have,” a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.
“But after the last few years, the love they had for each other turned more into a friendship that was broken during COVID because the lockdown didn’t help their marriage at all and really put a strain on their relationship.”
They continued, “They worked on it and couldn’t get it back. The strikes didn’t help anything, it put them in the same predicament as COVID, where they just kicked the tires, and Hugh discovered that it all didn’t have the same magic as it used to.
“Deb had similar concerns and thoughts and separating is the best option.”
The insider added: “They will never speak negatively about each other, for them time has simply passed and they now accept that fate.”
Hugh and Deborra-Lee are pictured in April 2020 during a COVID lockdown, which reportedly contributed to their divorce
The couple, pictured in Australia in 1997, announced their divorce on Friday
A rep for Jackman, 54, confirmed that COVID and the writers’ strike had affected their relationship.
The estranged couple announced the devastating news on Friday that they are officially splitting up.
“We are blessed to have had a beautiful, loving marriage together as husband and wife for nearly three decades,” they said in a joint statement.
“Our journey is now changing and we have decided to part ways to pursue our individual growth.
‘Our family is and will remain our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love and kindness.”
They concluded to PEOPLE: ‘We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition throughout our lives. This is the only statement either of us will make.
”
The estranged couple released a joint statement saying they are moving forward “with gratitude, love and kindness.”
They are parents of two children; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18, whom they adopted together
A Broadway insider said Page six that their breakup wasn’t a shock, claiming that “it happened a while ago.”
They suggested there appeared to be issues before Jackman returned to Broadway for The Music Man in February 2022, with the insider adding: “Deb wasn’t at rehearsals that much.”
Their split comes five months after they celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in April, with the Wolverine star posting a gushing tribute to his wife on Instagram.
Jackman proposed to Furness just weeks after the pair started dating – and they married in 1996
Jackman and Furness, who are 13 years older, celebrated their 27th anniversary in April this year
“I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary.
27 years! I love you so much,” he captioned the post, which he shared with his 79.1 million followers.
‘Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your smile, your spirit, generosity, humor, boldness, courage and loyalty are an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.’
Jackman and Furness, who is 13 years his senior, met in 1995 on Australian TV show Correlli, with the Wolverine actor later claiming he knew they would “be together for the rest of our lives.”
They married a year later, in April 1996, and became parents in 2000 when they adopted their son Oscar. Five years later they adopted a second child, daughter Ava Eliot.