Hugh Jackman’s estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness looked downcast at the US Open without her husband or her wedding ring just two weeks before the couple announced their shock split

Australian golden couple Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness shocked fans by announcing their separation 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 on the verge of 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, best known for serving as vice chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for president of the United States.

Furness was not wearing her wedding ring and was visibly less animated than Abedin, who was smiling and laughing a lot.

The couple shocked fans by announcing their separation on Friday after 27 years of marriage. (Photographed together in May)

The Angel Baby actress was more focused on the match and her food, but at one point she was seen engrossed in her cell phone.

She looked cool yet comfortable in a flowing white shirt and placed her platinum blonde locks in a messy bun.

The mother of two wore minimal makeup and accessorized with bold jewelry.

Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness’ marriage has been “broken” by the COVID pandemic, according to an insider who claimed the ongoing writers’ strike has further exacerbated their marital breakdown.

The Australian couple, who are parents to son Oscar, 23, and daughter Ava, 18, announced in a joint statement on Friday that they were ending their marriage after nearly three decades.

Instead of having Hugh by her side, the actress was accompanied by her friend Huma Abedin (left)

Furness was not wearing her wedding ring and was visibly less animated than Abedin, who was smiling and laughing a lot.

At one point, the actress looked at her plate of food while Huma chatted with another friend.

Lockdown put a strain on their relationship, and despite their efforts to save their marriage, the couple decided the “best option” was to part ways as friends.

“They are forever, forever linked to the children they have,” a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.

“But after the last few years, the love they had for each other turned into more of a friendship that fell apart during COVID, as 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 at all, it put them in the same predicament as COVID, where they were just kicking the tires, and Hugh found that it all no longer had the same magic as before.

“Deb had similar concerns and thoughts and separation is the best option.”

The insider added: “They will never speak negatively about each other, it’s just that time has passed for them and they now accept this fate.”

Hugh and Deborra-Lee are pictured in April 2020 during a COVID lockdown, which was reportedly a contributing factor to their split.

The couple, photographed in 1997 in Australia, announced their separation on Friday.

A rep for Jackman, 54, confirmed that COVID and the writers’ strike had an impact on their relationship.

The former couple announced the devastating news of their official separation on Friday.

“We have been fortunate to share nearly three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful and loving marriage,” they said in a joint statement.

“Our journey is now changing and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.

“Our family has been and always will be our biggest priority. We begin this next chapter with gratitude, love and kindness.

They concluded to PEOPLE: “We greatly appreciate your understanding of respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives. This is the only statement either of us will make.

The estranged couple released a joint statement saying they were 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 split wasn’t a shock, saying “it happened a while ago.”

They suggested there appeared to be problems before Jackman returned to Broadway in February 2022 for The Music Man, with the insider adding: “Deb wasn’t at rehearsals much.”

Their split comes five months after they celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in April, with the Wolverine star posting a heartwarming tribute to his wife on Instagram.

Jackman asked Furness to marry him just weeks after the couple 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, shared with his 79.1 million followers.

“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.’

Jackman and Furness, who is 13 years his senior, met in 1995 on the Australian television series Correlli, with the Wolverine actor later saying 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. They adopted a second child, daughter Ava Eliot, five years later.