Hugh Jackman’s longtime friend has shared an update on the actor after his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness blasted their split as a “traumatic journey of betrayal.”
Appearing on Thursday’s episode of Australia’s “Ben Fordham Live” radio show, Gus Worland weighed in on Furness’ comments that described a tumultuous ending to her marriage with Jackman.
Worland, a TV and radio personality, said he’s been close to Jackman since the pair attended kindergarten together in 1973.
“It’s not just [Furness’] statement, but just the last couple of years have been difficult,” Worland said. “One thing that I’ve been really strict on, or disciplined on … is to let them do what they’ve had to do.”
Furness, 69, filed for divorce from Jackman, 56, on May 23 after the pair initially announced that they were amicably separating in 2023. The former couple, who share children Ava and Oscar, had been married for 27 years after tying the knot in 1996.
In a seemingly 180 move from the couple’s 2023 announcement, Furness this week shared a scathing statement with People.
“My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,” Furness told the outlet, adding the split was “a profound wound that cuts deep.”
Speaking on the radio show, Worland said, “No one wants anyone to go through what they’ve been through, and, of course, they go through everything publicly because of the type of people and the fame that they have.”
Worland then gave an update on how the “Deadpool & Wolverine” star has apparently been doing amid the messy divorce.
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“I was over in New York with [Jackman] just last month, and he’s fine. He is going along well. He’s moving on with his life, and I hope that Deb does as well,” he said.
Noting that the couple were together “a long, long time,” Worland added that his priority is making sure that Jackman and Furness’ kids “get through this.”
“I just go to the kids and go, ‘What can we do to make sure that they’re going to get through this as well as possible?’” said Worland, who added he and Jackman are godparents to each other’s first children.
Jackman has been romantically linked to his former “Music Man” co-star Sutton Foster, 50, since earlier this year. Foster and Jackman went public with their romance in January after they were spotted holding hands on a dinner date in California.
Foster and Jackman’s PDA-filled night caused a stir online, considering a source claimed to Us Weekly in November 2024 that Foster and Jackman’s relationship is the “reason Hugh and Deb got divorced.” Rumors had circulated that the two Broadway stars became close while starring in the musical revival.
The insider claimed there was “an affair and overlap” but that many people on Broadway “kept it quiet.”
“A lot of people on Broadway knew, and we kept it quiet because both of them are so nice and great people,” the source alleged. “Everyone respected their privacy. But there was an affair and overlap.”
Meanwhile, Foster filed for divorce from her husband, Ted Griffin, in October 2024 after 10 years of marriage.
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