Lockdown and strike put pressure on Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness' 27-year marriage

In mid-September 2023, actors Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announced their separation after 27 years of marriage. The news took many by surprise because they appeared to have one of the strongest marriages in Hollywood.

"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," the couple announced.

Since the announcement, media like Marca, Hello! and the New Zealand Herald have analyzed their situation, though, and they claim the separation should not be such a surprise after all.

We could have known something was up, Hello! indicates, when the couple put their Hamptons holiday home up for rent. "This East Hampton property, worth USD$3.5 million, had been their labor of love," Hello reports. "The couple had dedicated six years to meticulously renovate this 'dream' abode."

Image: East Hampton, by Ahmer Kalam / Unsplash

According to Hello! magazine and the New Zealand Herald, the divorce was a long time coming. The pandemic and the inaction of actors due to lockdowns had put a strain on the relationship, these media report.

While the locked-in couple may have experienced some tensions during the pandemic, the actors' strike of 2023 didn't help to lighten up the mood.

The 54-year-old Australian actor and the 67-year-old Australian director and producer met while filming the television series 'Correlli' for Australian ABC in 1995 (image). They married a year later.

Evidently, during their marriage, they had wonderful moments, sharing in the joy of each other's fulfillment of their careers.

But they also had very difficult times, including two miscarriages and Jackman's skin cancer diagnosis. through it all, they always supported each other.

On April 11, the 'Wolverine' star, who is due to reappear in the upcoming movie 'Deadpool 3,' celebrated his 27th wedding anniversary with Furness.

"I love you @Deborra_lee. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 YEARS! I love you so much and together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, loyalty is an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart," Jackman wrote on Instagram to his now ex-partner.

Photo: @thehughjackman / Instagram

Their last appearance as a couple on a red carpet was on May 1, 2023, when they attended the last Met Gala in New York.

In July 2023, Jackman and Furness were spotted together at a Wimbledon tennis match in London, England. It seemed that everything was fine between them.

The couple has two children: Oscar, 23, whom they adopted in July 2000, and Ava, 18, whom they adopted five years later, according to the newspaper El País.

"…Our family has been and always will be our highest priority," the joint statement of the now ex-couple read. "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," the statement said. The couple has since made it clear that they will no longer provide any further information on the matter.