It wasn’t sadness, but relief that Deborra-Lee Furness felt when she saw photos of her ex Hugh Jackman apparently going public with his former co-star Sutton Foster.
The Australian actress, 68, was married to the Hollywood star for 27 years before they announced their shock separation in September 2023.
Rumors soon followed that Jackman, 56, had embarked on a relationship with her The Music Man co-star, 49, who was married to her ex-husband Ted Griffin when the couple began working on the Broadway production in 2020.
They appeared to confirm that they are now a couple on Monday night after being photographed holding hands at a dinner party in Santa Monica, California.
After months of being “plagued by suspicion”, Furness can now move on, according to insiders, who say the footage served to confirm her fears were justified.
“To be honest, Deborra-Lee feels a sense of relief,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively.
Australian actress Deborra-Lee Furness was married to Hugh Jackman for 27 years before announcing their shocking separation in September 2023.
After months of being “plagued by suspicion”, Furness, 68, can now move forward after images of Jackman, 56, and Sutton Foster, 49, served to confirm her fears were justified.
“She has been plagued with suspicion. She was told it was not true and that they were nothing more than close friends who worked together.
But something in his heart told him that wasn’t true.
‘She trusted her intuition and her intuition was right. She finally feels calm after receiving confirmation that her fears and suspicions were justified.
“You can now completely close this chapter and move forward.”
The source added: “She has nothing more to say about her ex-husband and his close friend Sutton.”
Furness and Jackman announced the end of their marriage in a shocking statement in September 2023, telling fans that they were “changing” and, as a result, had decided to “separate to pursue our individual growth.”
Foster filed for divorce from her ex-husband in October after 10 years of marriage. They share their seven-year-old daughter Emily.
A month later, Furness attracted attention when her private Instagram account liked a video by gossip blogger Tasha Lustig that claimed Jackman was “running off with his mistress” and planning a “soft launch.” of your new relationship to test the reaction.
Jackman and Foster appeared to confirm that they are a couple on Monday night after they were photographed holding hands at a dinner party in Santa Monica, California.
Adding credibility to the claim was Furness’ friend Amanda de Cadenet, who commented on the same post: ‘You’re right about this. My dear friend Deb is about to shine any minute now!
The Wolverine star, who played Harold Hill alongside Foster as Marian Paroo in The Music Man, decided to go public with their romance this week because they are no longer “interested in hiding their love.”
“Enough time has passed for Hugh to stop playing around and hide his feelings and their relationship,” a second source said.
‘They both wanted to be considerate of their exes and anyone else who might be upset, but they’re not interested in hiding.
“Hugh’s close friends have seen his rejuvenated glow and that’s all thanks to Sutton.”
They said Jackman and Foster bonded over their individual marital struggles, but did not enter into a romance until he “came out of the anguish over the end of their relationship.”
“Things had been very rudimentary between Deborra-Lee and Hugh after the pandemic,” the source continued. ‘Their relationship was not the same.
‘Hugh had to act on his feelings.
“They both wanted to be considerate of their exes and anyone else who might be upset, but they’re not interested in hiding,” a source said of Foster and Jackman (pictured in 2022).
“He had a very special connection with Deborra-Lee, but that’s over now and he has to do what’s right for him.”
Furness, who met Jackman in 1995 on Australian TV show Correlli, has remained relatively quiet since their split, but last year revealed she had “big plans” for her post-breakup career.
He also told Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph: ‘It’s exciting. Did you know? Change, transition, evolution are a little scary and we all feel a little scared, but I think it’s probably our greatest gift.
Furness shares her adopted children Oscar, 24, and Ava, 19, with her ex.