Hugh Jackman’s Ex-Wife Deborra-Lee Furness Found Divorce Frightening
Hugh Jackman and ex-wife Deborra Lee-Furness went their separate ways not too long ago after a decades-long marriage. Furness once shared what she felt the future had in store for her after the divorce.
Deborra Lee-Furness was optimistic about her future
Jackman and Furness shocked many when they announced their divorce in September of last year, as they were together for 27 years before splitting. The pair didn’t reveal any specific reasons for their divorce. But they confided that there was no animosity between each other afterwards.
“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 said in a statement to People.
But both Jackman and Furness seemed to be determined to work with each other when it came to their family.
“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,” Furness aid.
They shared that this was most likely the only time they’d address the matter publicly. But speaking with Daily Telegraph (via Independent), Furness gave a little insight into how she was feeling about the future.
“You know what, change, transition, evolution is a little frightening and we are all a bit scared of it but I think it is probably our greatest gift,” she said. “It is kind of exciting.”
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness had a marriage pact to ensure they stayed together
At the height of their marriage, Jackman explained why their relationship lasted as long as it did. It all came down to the two keeping a promise they made to each other since before their children.
“Before we had kids, Deb and I made a pretty simple but powerful choice to look each other in the eye at every crossroads in life. Those crossroads are sometimes big, sometimes they’re small, sometimes you don’t even realise they’re crossroads until you look back,” Jackman once said in an interview with Who (Yahoo). “But at those moments, we said we’d ask each other, ‘Is this good or bad for our marriage?’ Or, now that we’ve got kids, ‘Is this good or bad for our family?’ And as often as possible, we do the thing that is good for our family.”
The X-Men star also believed, if there was a key to their marriage, it was intimacy. And not just the physical kind.
“People talk about intimacy and assume that means in the bedroom. Of course it is that, but really, intimacy is being able to share everything together—good, bad, fears, successes,” Jackman said. “Deb and I had that from the beginning. We’ve always been completely ourselves with each other.”’
Why Hugh Jackman found his crush on Deborra-Lee Furness unprofessional and embarrassing
Jackman and Furness first met in the 1995 Australian drama series Corelli. It was one of Jackman’s first major roles as an actor, and he could barely contain his nerves.
“My first job out of drama school — it was a massive break for me. I was really scared,” he said in an interview on The Jess Cagle Show.
But the true highlight of this experience was seeing Furness for the first time.
“Deb, she was a big star. I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll never forget. She took off her seatbelt 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,’” he said.
It was noted that it took quite some time before he asked out Furness. But seeing how she was a much bigger star at the time, Jackman found his crush on his future wife inappropriate.
“Deb and I were already best friends, and I realized, I’ve got a crush on my leading lady. This is the thing you do not do. It’s unprofessional and embarrassing,” he said.
