Hugh Jackman offers fans free rent – as his $40million New York apartment he shared with ex-wife Deborra-Lee struggles to sell

Hugh Jackman is giving lucky fans the chance to live rent-free for a month – as the Hollywood star continues to struggle to offload his New York City apartment for AU$40million.

The Australian actor, 57, has teamed up with Bilt founder Ankur Jain for the company’s latest ‘Rent Free’ game show, where celebrities take part in challenges to help members score a month without paying rent.

While Jackman is helping others escape their rental bills, his own ultra-luxurious Manhattan pad remains firmly on the property market.

The Wolverine star first listed the sprawling five-bedroom apartment for $40 m in March, less than a year after his divorce from his former wife Deborra–Lee Furness was finalised.

Jackman and Furness, 70, bought the palatial property for $33 m in 2008, which adjusted for inflation sits at over $40 m today – meaning the actor is now hoping to make a substantial profit of several million dollars on the apartment.

However, the property proved more difficult to shift than expected.

The former couple initially attempted to sell the apartment in June 2022 for a whopping $54.2million – more than $14million above its current asking price – but withdrew it from the market just two months later.

They subsequently took a different approach and listed the property for rent in September 2023 for an eye-watering $174,000 a month, around the same time they announced their separation.

The apartment was reportedly leased to a tenant who was expected to remain until December 2026, although the property subsequently appeared back on the market on March 31.

Now, as Jackman helps Bilt members score free accommodation, the actor is still waiting for someone to make an offer on his own expensive piece of Manhattan real estate.

The apartment’s listing deliberately makes no mention of its famous former owners and offers only ‘very limited showings’ to prospective buyers.

Property records show the home remains registered to the limited liability company Jackman and Furness used when they purchased it in 2008.

The three-storey property is located in a striking building on Perry Street designed by acclaimed architect Richard Meier and has been described as a ‘modernist masterpiece’.

Spanning exactly 11,000 square feet, the enormous triplex boasts a double–height living room with walls of windows overlooking the Hudson River.

‘The residence’s striking minimalist design makes it one of the most dramatic apartments in Manhattan,’ the listing states.

The property features huge entertaining spaces across its three levels, including a ‘huge recreation room’ and terrace on the eighth floor.

There is also a library which can double as an additional guest bedroom.

But while Jackman waits for a buyer to snap up his multimillion-dollar home, he has been busy helping others with their much more modest housing bills.

The actor’s collaboration with Bilt comes ahead of the Global Citizen Festival, which he will host at Central Park’s Great Lawn on September 26.

Around 60,000 people are expected to attend the event, which aims to support efforts to combat extreme poverty.