Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness have announced that they’re going their separate ways, and if the concept of love now feels a bit foreign and painful for you, you’re certainly not alone.
Hugh and Deborra-Lee shared a joint statement today, and while the pair maintain that the decision is mutual and they’re amicably moving forward, sharing only gratitude, love, and kindness, it almost feels wrong to imagine a realm in which they’re not together.
“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. Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. 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.”
Deborra-Lee and Hugh met on set in 1995, and they’ve been together ever since, navigating everything from career changes to cancer, raising children together, and exploring the world alongside one another in the years since. The way they spoke to and about one another is the stuff dreams are made of, and while our hearts break a little bit for them today, their long relationship together and their focus on family moving forward means that they’ll always be linked to one another, holding the other in high regard.
So, just how long were Hugh and Deborra-Lee married, and when did they meet? As usual, we’ve got you covered.
How many years were Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness married?
Deborra-Lee and Hugh were married for 27 years, and the life they built together is certainly something to write home about. On April 11 of this year, Hugh shared a post on Instagram giving his wife a shoutout on their 27th wedding anniversary, saying in part: “Your laughter, your spirit, your generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, and loyalty is an incredible gift to me.”
Of course, it wasn’t only on wedding anniversaries that you’d find Hugh sharing notes of love for his wife. There were many instances when he simply took to his social channel to give her a moment of praise for everything from helping him through his cancer journey to being the happiest person in any room:
“Deb is the lightest, most optimistic person I’ve ever met in my life. Like, if you ever want to play who’s the happiest person in the room, Deb wins.”
The news of their split might have come as a bit of a shock for fans who have followed their love story for decades. But that old adage we’ve all been told more times than we can count (and more times than we’d often like) has to ring true in this one: everything happens for a reason. We know, *eye roll*…right?
The thing is, coming to this decision had to entail a lot of thought, love, and respect for one another and what they’ve built; and we have a feeling that above all else, they mean it when they say this next chapter of their lives is for personal growth but also for keeping their family as their highest priority.
When did Hugh and Deborra-Lee meet?
Hugh and Deborra-Lee met in 1995 when they were on the set of Cornelli and they’d go on to marry the next year. While their love story took off quickly, Hugh told People that he knew from the moment they met that she was something special; it was one of the “few” things in his life that have been very obvious to him:
“I knew very early, I knew before Deb knew. Even when she tried to break up with me, I knew. She kind of [broke up with me], a little bit. Early on, three weeks in. I managed to talk her out of it, thank God. I’m a very indecisive person, Deb really knows this about me. I can count on my hand the amount of times in my life anything has felt that clear to me, and when it happens it’s such a relief for me.”
They tried to keep their bond a secret at first for a couple of reasons. Initially, Hugh felt like falling for his “leading lady” wasn’t right, but he couldn’t deny their bond. When he finally told her how he felt, he was honored to know that her heart was feeling all the flutters for him, too:
“I said, ‘I got a crush on you. I’ll get over it, I’m sorry.’ She goes, ‘Oh? Because I’ve got a crush on you too.’ I never in a million years thought she reciprocated.”
Their romance only grew stronger from those intense few weeks, and they’d go on to have two children together. As the news of their split becomes public, we’re sending our best wishes to the pair and their family as they navigate through the next chapters of their lives. As for us? We’ll be watching The Greatest Showman, listening to “Never Enough,” and crying into a tub of Ben and Jerry’s.