Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster look tense on outing after being ‘blindsided’ by his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness’s request
Hugh Jackman and new girlfriend Sutton Foster had quite a tense outing after reportedly being left ‘blindsided’ by a shock request from his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness.
Jackman, 57, and Foster, 51, publicly confirmed their romance in January 2025, a year after he announced that he and Furness had split and it was claimed days ago that his 70-year-old ex wants to meet his new partner.
Now, the new couple appeared strained as they headed to the gym in New York City on Tuesday morning.
Jackman looked rather animated as he used his hands to convey his conversation, while Foster rolled her lips into her mouth and did not appear to say a word.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Jackman and Foster and has yet to hear back.
Days ago, it was claimed that Jackman’s ex, Furness, wants to meet Foster so they can all move forward.
Hugh Jackman and new girlfriend Sutton Foster had quite a tense outing after reportedly being left ‘blindsided’ by a shock request from his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness
‘This isn’t about Deb being angry or wanting to read Sutton the riot act. It’s about closure,’ an insider told last week’s New Idea magazine.
They added that while Furness was initially reluctant to meet, she now wants to in an attempt to minimize some of the perceived tension.
‘For the longest time, Deb swore off the idea of even being in the same room as Sutton,’ the insider added.
‘But at this point it feels like something she needs to check off her list, if only to put an end to the awkwardness… also so she can speak her truth.’
They said that Jackman and Foster had been very public about their new romance, which had come as a shock to Furness, as they were visiting all the places that she used to go to with the Wolverine actor.
‘Watching Hugh and Sutton parade around the city, openly flaunting their romance and mingling with all the same people they used to socialize with as a couple, is incredibly painful and humiliating,’ they added.
‘It might be easier to take if they weren’t constantly all over each other.’
The source said that Jackman and Foster were surprised by Furness’s request – but were open to the idea so they could clear the air of any perceived tension.
Jackman, 57, looked rather animated as he used his hands to convey his conversation, while Foster, 51, rolled her lips into her mouth and did not appear to say a word
Jackman, 57, and Foster, 51, publicly confirmed their romance in January 2025, a year after he announced that he and Furness had split and it was claimed days ago that his 70-year-old ex wants to meet his new partner. Above, Jackman and Furness in May 2022
It has been claimed that Furness wants to meet her ex’s new love so they can all move forward
It comes after Jackman was slammed for attending this year’s Met Gala in New York City with Foster.
The X-Men actor delivered a brutal final blow to his ex-wife, Furness, as he arrived at fashion’s biggest night just months after finalizing their divorce last June, while his romance with Foster began in late 2024, following their starring roles in Broadway’s 2021 revival of The Music Man.
Jackman and his ex-wife previously attended multiple Met Galas, with their last joint appearance being in 2023.
The actor notably showed up to the 2024 soiree solo and skipped the event altogether last year amid his and Furness’s high-profile split.
And for his grand 2026 return to the Met Gala, Jackman had Foster, 51, by his side as he trekked up the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s iconic staircase.
The couple looked totally smitten as they were often caught sharing loving glances during their red carpet stint.
Jackman and Foster’s Met Gala debut as a couple comes amid rumors that a wedding between the pair is close at hand.
Back in February, the Globe claimed that Jackman rejected the idea of drawing up a prenup with the Broadway star.
It comes after Jackman was slammed for attending this year’s Met Gala in New York City with Foster
During their 27-year marriage, Jackman and Furness attended several Met Galas, with their last appearance as a couple being in 2023
Jackman’s fortune is worth a reported $170 million compared to Foster’s estimated $4 million, but he seemingly has no fears about sharing it with his future second wife.
He ‘won’t even entertain’ the idea, an alleged insider told the magazine, and considers the suggestion ‘offensive.’
According to a source close to the couple, the wedding will take place as soon as Sutton’s divorce from her ex, Ted Griffin, is finalized.
‘[Hugh’s] told his team to keep a big window open for him and Sutton to tie the knot and have a “honeymoon tour” of Europe, where they can see his mum,’ an insider told New Idea.
The source added that the couple are planning a small, ‘intimate’ ceremony in New York during spring or summer for their ‘theatre pals.’
It comes less than a year after Jackman and Furness finalized their bitter divorce.
Jackman and Furness made their first Met Gala appearance in 2004
They also joined stars at the 2018 soiree, which was themed Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination
Amid the couple’s high-profile divorce, Jackman notably attended the Met Gala solo in 2024
The exes, who first separated in 2023, have two adult children: son Oscar, 25, and daughter Ava, 20.
The Met Gala became a tradition for Jackman and Furness in the latter years of their marriage, with the couple making back-to-back appearances in 2017 and 2018.
Jackman and Furness also attended the gala in 2022 and 2023. Their first-ever appearance as a couple was in 2004.
When Jackman arrived without Furness in 2024 amid their split, he made a point of wearing the same Tom Ford tuxedo he had worn during their first Met Gala more than two decades ago.
