KUALA LUMPUR: Australian actor Hugh Jackman's rumored romance with American actress Sutton Foster is speculated to be the reason for his recent divorce from Deborra-Lee Furness, his wife of 27 years.
The speculation stems from the pair's time together in the 2022 Broadway revival of The Music Man, where Jackman and Foster co-starred, The Straits Times reported.
The production, which ran from February 2022 to January 2023 at New York's Winter Garden Theatre, saw Jackman, 56, portraying Harold Hill, a con artist who falls for Marian Paroo, a librarian played by Foster, 49. Both Jackman and Foster were married at the time—Jackman to Furness, and Foster to screenwriter Ted Griffin, 53.
Following Jackman and Furness' split announcement in September 2023, and Foster's divorce filing on Oct 25 after 10 years of marriage, whispers of a secret romance began to surface.
Us Weekly reported on Nov 12 that a source close to Foster claimed, "Many on Broadway knew and kept it quiet out of respect for them, but there was an affair and overlap."
The magazine also mentioned that Furness was "blindsided" by the alleged affair, which has been dubbed "Broadway's worst-kept secret."
Sources cited by American tabloid Page Six in October alleged that Jackman and Foster spent most of their free time together during the musical's run, while maintaining a low profile.
The two frequently shared photos on Instagram during production, often expressing admiration and respect for one another.
On The Music Man's opening night, Foster posted a photo of herself with Jackman, captioning it, "This man. An honour to be by your side. You. Are. The. BEST."
Jackman and Furness have two adopted children, son Oscar, 24, and daughter Ava, 19.
Foster and Griffin are parents to seven-year-old Emily, whom they adopted in 2017.
As of now, neither Jackman nor Foster has commented publicly on the rumours.