‘’Sexiest Man Alive’’ Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee separate
Parents of two children, the couple said in a statement that there were pursuing ‘’individual growth’’.
Hugh Jackman and Deborra Lee
Dubbed as the ‘’sexiest man alive’’, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, known for playing ‘Wolverine’ and Deborra Lee Furness announced separation after 27 years of marriage.
Parents of two children, the couple said in a statement that there were pursuing ‘’individual growth’’.
The couple, who married in 1996, have two children aged 23 and 18.
In a statement, the duo said that they had been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. ‘’Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth’’, they added.
“Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.”
The statement was signed off as “Deb and Hugh Jackman”, with the addendum: “This is the sole statement either of us will make.”
The couple had celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary in April. They met while co-starring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in Australian television series Correlli in 1995.
Furness most recently played Jill Bailey alongside Eric Bana in the Australian thriller Force of Nature: The Dry 2, from writer-director Robert Connolly.
Jackman is known for playing Wolverine in the X-Men franchise and has also starred in The Greatest Showman and Les Miserables on screen. His stage roles include The Music Man on Broadway.
In 2000, the couple adopted Oscar Maximilian, now 23. Five years later, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot.
In an interview with Smooth Radio in February, Jackman was asked about how to have a long-lasting marriage.
“I think honesty and intimacy and making time [are the secret to a long and happy marriage]. You can’t just assume that things will just tick along OK. You have to make time.”
Jackman was named the ‘’sexiest man alive’’ in 2008 by the People magazine.