Deborra-Lee Furness opened up about “rude” comments about her marriage to Hugh Jackman in an interview before the couple announced their split.
The 67-year-old Australian actress appeared on Anh Do’s “Brush With Fame” in 2020 and was asked if she was “happy” to be married to the 54-year-old Wolverine star.
‘Happy! “Like I won a chook raffle,” the Correlli star teased in response to the question.
“People don’t realize that it’s actually rude to say that,” Deborra-Lee continued.
“Lucky, ’cause he’s a stud muffin and all. “But that’s showbiz and Hollywood and the Hugh Jackman brand.”
Deborra-Lee Furness opened up about “rude” comments about her marriage to Hugh Jackman in an interview before the couple announced their split. Both pictured
Elsewhere in the interview, Deborra-Lee called the Broadway superstar her “soulmate.”
“We just had this amazing connection, and I feel blessed to have experienced it, to feel like I’ve met my soulmate, whatever that is,” she said.
“When you find a partner in crime where you share and grow together and know, life is hard, we know that.” It’s not all good.
“And when you have someone who supports you so much and you can actually stand naked – and you have to when you have kids – warts and all, and you’re loved, then there’s nothing better.”
The 67-year-old Australian actress appeared on Anh Do’s “Brush With Fame” in 2020 and was asked if she felt “lucky” to be married to the 54-year-old Wolverine star. “Lucky!” “Like I won a chook raffle,” the Correlli star sneered in response to the question
Deborra-Lee also called the Broadway superstar her “soulmate.” “We just had this amazing connection, and I feel blessed to have experienced it, to feel like I’ve met my soulmate, whatever that is,” she said
This comes after it was revealed that the couple’s marriage had been “broken” by the COVID pandemic, according to an insider who claimed the ongoing writers’ strike had made the breakdown of their marriage even worse.
The Australian couple, who are parents to son Oscar, 23, and daughter Ava, 18, announced in a joint statement on Friday that they were ending their marriage after nearly three decades.
The lockdown put a “strain” on their relationship and although they worked to save their marriage, the couple decided the “best option” was to part ways as friends.
“They are forever linked, forever with the children they have,” a source told exclusively.
“But after a few years, the love they had for each other developed into more of a friendship, which fell apart during the Corona crisis as the lockdown didn’t help their marriage at all and really put a strain on their relationship.”
This comes after it was revealed that the couple’s marriage had been “broken” by the COVID pandemic, according to an insider who claimed the ongoing writers’ strike had made the breakdown of their marriage even worse. Pictured in April 2020 during a COVID lockdown
The couple, pictured in Australia in 1997, announced their split on Friday
They continued: “They worked on it and couldn’t get it back.” The strikes didn’t help one bit, they put them in the same predicament as COVID, where they were just kicking tires, and Hugh discovered that Everything no longer had the same magic as before.
“Deb had similar concerns and thoughts and separation is the best option.”
The insider added: “They will never speak negatively about each other, it’s just that time has passed for them and they now accept this fate.”
A rep for Jackman confirmed that COVID and the writers’ strike have had an impact on their relationship.
The estranged couple announced the devastating news on Friday that they are officially parting ways.
“We have been fortunate to spend nearly three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” they said in a joint statement.
“Our journey is now changing and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
“Our family has always been and continues to be our top priority. We approach this next chapter with gratitude, love and kindness.”
The coronavirus lockdown is said to have put a strain on their relationship
Jackman asked Furness to marry him just weeks after the couple started dating – and they tied the knot in 1996
They concluded to PEOPLE: “We thank you very much for your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition throughout our lives.” “That is the only statement either of us will make.”
A Broadway insider told PageSix that their split wasn’t a shock, claiming “it happened a while ago.”
They hinted that there appeared to be problems before Jackman returned to Broadway for The Music Man in February 2022, with the insider adding: “Deb hasn’t been at rehearsals much.”
Their split came five months after they celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in April, when the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife on Instagram.
“I love you, Deb.” Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years! “I love you so much,” he captioned the post, which he shared to his 79.1 million followers.
“Together we have created a beautiful family.” And life. Your laughter, your spirit, your generosity, your humor, your sass, your courage and your loyalty are an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.’
Jackman and Furness, who is 13 years his senior, met in 1995 on the Australian television show Correlli. The Wolverine actor later claimed that he knew they would “stay together for the rest of our lives.”
A year later, in April 1996, they married and became parents in 2000 when they adopted their son Oscar. Five years later they adopted a second child, daughter Ava Eliot.
Jackman and Furness, who is 13 years older, celebrated their 27th anniversary in April this year
They are parents of two children; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18, who adopted them together
Jackman has never been shy about talking about his marriage, and spoke about the key to a healthy relationship back in February.
“I think about honesty, intimacy and saving time [are the secret to a long and happy marriage]. You can’t just assume that everything is going well. “You have to take your time,” he told Smooth Radio.
In an interview, he called his wife his “best friend” and most important support in both his career and his personal life.
Jackman said of his partner: “I’m married to the greatest woman in the world.” She’s great. We are best friends and share everything. She’s smart.’
Speaking about how they were never apart from each other for more than two weeks, he explained that it was because they wanted to “share everything together.”
He continued: “We always said we would never be more than two weeks apart.” Sometimes life and work go crazy.
“But we met at my first job when she was already a big star, I was a nobody.” “So we shared everything, all the ups and downs, and always will.”
The couple made several public appearances together this year, including the Met Gala in May and Wimbledon in London in June.
They were even pictured kissing on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival last September.
The estranged couple issued a joint statement saying they were moving forward “with gratitude, love and kindness.”