Hugh Jackman’s ex-wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, broke her silence on their split shortly after she filed for divorce.
“My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,” Deborra-Lee, 69, said in a statement to the Daily Mail on Tuesday, May 27.
The Australian actress went on to call their split “a profound wound that cuts deep.”
“However, I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us,” Deborra-Lee continued. “This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage.”
She added that her split from Hugh, 56, has helped her gain “much knowledge and wisdom.”
“Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose. It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom,” she said, noting that “one thing” she’s learned is “that none of this is personal.”
Deborra-Lee concluded, “We are all on our individual journeys and I believe that the relationships in our lives are not random. We are drawn to people, we invite them in, in order to learn our lessons and to recognize and heal the broken parts of ourselves … I remain grateful.”
Deborra-Lee and Hugh got married in 1996, and they shocked fans when they announced their separation in 2023 after 27 years of marriage.
“We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” the former couple – who share kids Oscar, 25, and Ava, 19 – told People at the time. “Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
More than one year after announcing their split, Deborra-Lee submitted multiple filings in New York on May 23, according to online records viewed by In Touch. The records indicated that she and Hugh had worked out some details of their divorce.
While the exes have reached a settlement, a judge has not yet signed off on the paperwork as of May 27.
After Hugh and Deborra-Lee announced their split, he confirmed his romance with his former Music Man costar Sutton Foster when they were photographed holding hands during a date night in January.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 01: (L-R) Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness attend The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness
In April, an insider exclusively told In Touch that the couple was doing long distance as Hugh filmed The Death of Robin Hood in Northern Ireland. “They’re being stoic about it and insisting this will only make them stronger,” the source said at the time. “It’s certainly going to be a test for their relationship, no doubt about that.”
According to the insider, the couple promised to check in with each other every night before bed and talk as much as they can. “But with the time zone difference and their equally busy schedules, it’s bound to be a challenge,” the source pointed out.