Hugh Jackman Didn’t Speak to Ex-Wife Deborra-Lee Furness for a Week When They First Met
Hugh Jackman was floored, by his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness almost immediately when they first crossed paths. However, in the beginning, he could only admire her from a distance.
Hugh Jackman avoided Deborra-Lee Furness because of his problematic crush
For many secret admirers, Jackman lived out a dream scenario when he ended up with his crush Furness. The two met in 1995 on the Australian television series Corelli, where Furness was the bigger star at the time. In an interview on People’s The Jess Cagle Show, Jackson confided that Corelli was his first major breakthrough role. And as nervous as he was, he was quickly smitten by Furness, who gave Jackman a very warm welcome.
“Deb, she was a big star. I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll neve rforget. She took off her seabelt and she turned around and put out her hand and took off her sunglasses and said, ‘Hi, I’m Deborra-Lee Furness, nice to meet you.’ I remember thinking, ‘I like this girl,’” Jackman recalled.
But embarrassed by his newfound crush on his co-star, Jackman only distanced himself further from Furness. Soon, however, he realized that he couldn’t maintain that kind of relationship with the actor for long.
“I didn’t talk to Deb for a week. Then I was like, ‘This is not a good plan,’” he said.
Things changed between them when Jackman invited Furness over for a dinner party. When he asked Furness to help him with the food, Furness addressed the silent treatment she was being given.
“She said, ‘I noticed you haven’t talked to me in like a week, what’s going on?’ I said, ‘I got a crush on you, I’ll never get over it, I’m sorry.’ She goes, ‘Oh? Because I’ve got a crush on you too.’ I neverin a million years thought she reciprocated,” he said.
The pair dated for four months and tied the knot in 1996. They were married for 27 years before separating in September, 2023.
How having kids affected Hugh Jackman’s relationship with Deborra Lee-Furness
Jackman and Furness have both been very private about their divorce. The most the pair have ever shared about their split was a joint statement they made to People.
“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,” they wrote. “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.”
Their divorce came as a shock to many, as the pair’s marriage was free of scandals and showed no signs of any cracks. But the X-Men star did once remark on one significant change that affected their relationship. They adopted a son in 2000 and a daughter in 2005. Speaking with Radio Time just a few months before their divorce, Jackman opened up about how his parenting style surprisingly clashed with his ex-wife’s.
“You fall in love with someone and you work out your relationship, it’s great,” Jackson started. “All of a sudden, we had kids. The way I was parented, the way she was parented…all of a sudden…whoosh! And it wasn’t just Deb and I, it was somehow our pasts coming together. We had really different ideas about being a parent. And we never really pre-discussed it. We just assumed we love each other, we don’t argue, that’s going to be fine!”
