Hugh Jackman‘s rumored romance with Sutton Foster was well known among Broadway insiders and is reportedly “the reason” he ended his marriage to his estranged wife, Deborra-Lee Furness.

The pair, who starred together in the 2022 Broadway revival of “The Music Man,” reportedly developed romantic feelings, but those insiders kept it under wraps because the actors were known as “kind and wonderful people.”

Just a month earlier, Hugh Jackman’s ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness appeared to confirm suspicions that the actor’s relationship with Sutton Foster “blindsided” her.

Source claims Hugh Jackman’s romance with Sutton Foster ‘overlapped’ with his marriage to Deborra-Lee

Speak with American weeklyone source claimed that Jackman’s alleged relationship with Foster was the reason his marriage to Furness ended in September 2023.

“Sutton and Hugh’s relationship is the reason Hugh and Deb divorced,” the insider told the publication.

According to the source, the relationship was an open secret among Broadway insiders who knew Jackman and Foster when they starred in 2022’s “The Music Man.”

They also confirmed that the romance “overlapped” when the “Deadpool and Wolverine” star was still married to Furness.

They added, “A lot of people on Broadway knew, and we kept it quiet because they are both such nice and wonderful people. Everyone respected their privacy. But there was an affair and overlap.”

“They’re really happy right now,” the source added, about the Broadway stars who have yet to confirm their relationship.

The actor’s ex-wife was ‘blindsided’ by his romance with his Broadway co-star

While it’s unclear exactly when Jackman and Foster’s romantic involvement began during “The Music Man” series, Furness reportedly didn’t suspect her husband of cheating until much later.

“Deborra-lee was stunned when she heard about the affair on the show,” the insider said. “It was apparently Broadway’s worst-kept secret, and Deborra-lee was the last to know.”

The source also claimed that when Furness eventually confronted Jackman, “he didn’t acknowledge it” and continued his affair with Foster despite the Australian actress wanting to save their marriage.

In September 2023, the former couple made a statement revealing that they were parting ways to pursue their individual growth.

They have since refrained from discussing what caused their marriage to break up. However, Furness himself recently appeared to have confirmed that Jackman’s alleged cheating caused this.

Furness was caught privately liking a post from gossip blogger Tasha Lustig, in which he claimed Jackman had “blindsided” her by “running off with the mistress” and was preparing for a “soft launch” of his romance with Foster.

Deborah-Lee Furness was ‘devastated’ by the divorce

After nearly three decades of marriage, there was bound to be a lot of emotional pain, of which Furness seemingly bore the brunt.

“For a woman who has been married for 27 years and then finds out that her partner is unfaithful and not trustworthy, it’s a pretty devastating life experience,” a friend of Furness told the publication.

They added: ‘I think a lot of people were shocked that he could do this to her, especially since she is the mother of his children and they lived together for three decades. A little respect might have been appropriate.’

Jackman and Furness share two children, Oscar and Ava, who are now legal adults, saving them custody issues at the time of their divorce.

The Australian actress has been ‘leaning on work’ to cope with her split from Hugh Jackman

An insider told this Daily mail how Furness dealt with the heartbreak she felt after her divorce from Jackman. They noted that the actress focused more on her career while single again.

“She’s taking it slow, but trying to embrace her new normal,” the source said. “Instead of romance, she has used her job as a lifeline as she moves on with life without Hugh.”

They added, “She is eager and excited, yet anxious at the same time, to dive back into a relationship and love again. She needs to find herself again, and then everything else will fall into place. It will take some time, but she is getting better every day.”

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster are ‘Going Strong’

Last month, another source confirmed that Jackman and Foster are doing well in their rumored relationship after “falling in love.”

The insider revealed that not only had the duo’s bond blossomed deeply, but they could see themselves walking down the aisle in the future.

“They are 100 percent together, in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together,” the source said Page six.

According to the source, the duo prefers to keep things under the radar for the time being, even though their romance is not exactly a secret.

The insider continued: “They are still together. They do their best to hide it, but it is true
general knowledge. “