On October 26, gossip blogger Tasha Lustig spilled some big tea on it Hugh Jackman And Sutton Foster on her Instagram account. “Remember when I told you this guy was up to no good,” the content creator asked, pointing to a photo of the Music man costars looking loving on a red carpet. Lustig further said that Jackman had ‘blinded’ his ex-wife, Deborra-lee Furnessby “eloping with the mistress” and that the Broadway stars planned to “gently” launch their relationship publicly.

The juicy post quickly attracted a ton of viewers — including Furness, who “liked” it from her private account (visible only to people she follows on the platform), along with more than 25,000 others, and Furness’ close friend, the British media personality Amanda de Cadenetwho wrote: “You are on point with this one. My beloved friend Deb is about to get her ass ripped off, fyi!”

The social media activity seemed to confirm rumors of a secret romance between Jackman, 56, and Foster, 49, who co-starred in the 2022 Broadway revival. (Jackman and ex Furness announced their divorce in September 2023; Foster filed for divorce from the screenwriter Ted Griffin on October 25.) Sources confirm in the latest issue of We weekly that Jackman and Foster are currently together — and that their friendship turned romantic during the show’s 11-month run while they were married to other people.

“Sutton and Hugh’s relationship is the reason Hugh and Deb divorced,” says a Foster source. “A lot of people on Broadway knew, and we kept it quiet because they’re both such nice and wonderful people. Everyone respected his privacy. But there was an affair and overlap.” According to the source, Jackman and Foster are still going strong: “They are really happy now.”

Direct connection

Jackman and Foster have been in the same Broadway circles for years. During a late-night appearance, Jackman revealed that he had “seen everything she did” and joked that he had seen Foster perform in Thoroughly modern Millie when she was “like, 4 years old.” (Foster won a Tony for her performance in 2002, when she was 27). Delighted Jackman: “(She’s) great.”

We hit it off immediately after they were thrown in The music man. In 2022, Foster said Fashion Jackman had become one of her best friends – noting that they even had family get-togethers. (Jackman and Furness, 68, adopted son Oscar, 24, in 2000 and daughter Ava, 19, in 2005; Foster and Griffin are parents to Emily, 7, whom they adopted in 2017.) ‘Usually these things come to your mind. the battle thinking, ‘Well, I hope we get along,'” she explained, “but we just spent Memorial Day with our families.”

Foster also revealed that she and Jackman had adopted an intimate ritual of sitting on the floor of her dressing room and chatting before each show. “It’s such an amazing thing,” Foster said during a performance on Live with Kelly and Ryan. “We just talk and catch up on our day. That’s one of the best things about it all,” she added, “is that I’ve made this amazing new friend.”

Related: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness’ relationship timeline

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness were together for more than twenty years before going their separate ways. Jackman and Furness started dating shortly after meeting on the set of the Australian TV series Correlli in 1995. “Deb, she was a huge star,” he recalled to Jess Cagle in 2017. “I am arrested (for (…)

During rehearsals, they often posted adorable photos and videos to Instagram, gushing over each other. “This show is nothing without you,” Jackman wrote alongside a clip of them practicing a dance. On opening night, Foster shared photos of her and Jackman on the red carpet with the caption, “This man. An honor to be by your side. You. Are. The. BEST.”

Furness suspected nothing — even after watching her then-husband and Foster kiss passionately onstage night after night. “Deborra-lee was stunned when she learned about the affair on the show,” said an industry source. “It was apparently Broadway’s worst-kept secret, and Deborra-lee was the last to know.” Us has learned that Jackman never came clean about the affair. “He was not to blame,” the industry source added. Furness wanted to save the marriage, but Jackman’s relationship with Foster continued.

Painful betrayal

For decades, Jackman and Furness seemed like one of Hollywood’s most solid couples. The Wolverine star fell for Furness when they starred in the Australian series Corelli together. (Like Foster, Furness was his leading lady.) Just five months after meeting, Jackman popped the question. “Two weeks after I met Deb, I knew we were going to be together for the rest of our lives,” he once admitted.

During a 2016 talk show appearance, Jackman said his marriage is “getting better and better” with time, adding, “She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” The actor noted that he was grateful to have met her before he became famous in the early 2000s. “Everything that has happened in my career, on-screen and off-screen, we have always done together.”

In April 2023, Jackman celebrated his 27th wedding anniversary with a gushing post aimed at Furness. “Together we have created a beautiful family. And life,” he wrote. “Your smile, your spirit, generosity, humor, boldness, courage and loyalty are an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.”

Related: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness split after 27 years of marriage

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness have tied the knot after more than twenty years of marriage, Us Weekly can confirm. “We are blessed to have had a beautiful, loving marriage together as husband and wife for nearly three decades. Our journey is now changing and we have decided to part ways to pursue our individual growth,” (…)

While one source notes that Jackman and Foster’s affair had already begun at that point, another source says they first heard of a romance between the pair last November, two months after the actor announced his marriage was over. “We are blessed to have had a beautiful, loving marriage together as husband and wife for nearly three decades,” Jackman and Furness said in a statement at the time. “Our journey is now changing and we have decided to part ways to pursue our individual growth.”

A friend of the couple says Us Furness was heartbroken. “(For a) woman who has been in a marriage for (27) years and then discovers that her partner is unfaithful and not trustworthy, that’s a pretty devastating life experience,” says the friend, noting that Furness has been extremely gracious behind the scenes to protect her family. “I think a lot of people were shocked that Hugh could do this to her, especially since she is the mother of his children and they have lived together for 30 years,” the friend said. “A little respect might have been appropriate.” A source familiar with Furness says she is a survivor: “(Deborra-lee) is a strong, resilient, creative woman.”

What’s next

As far as Jackman and Foster are concerned, things are moving forward. “They don’t live together because of their children,” says a source from the theater world. “But Sutton told people on Broadway about the relationship. Everyone (there) has known about this for a long time.” A resident of the building in Sutton, NYC, has told other neighbors that they have seen Jackman, who also lives in the city, coming in and out.

The Foster source says Jackman knows his reputation is at stake. “Hugh’s whole image is that he’s the nicest guy in Hollywood,” the source explains. “So he doesn’t know what to do with this.”

For more about Hugh and Sutton, watch the exclusive video above and the latest issue of We weekly – on newsstands now.