Hugh Jackman SPLITS with wife Deborra-Lee Furness: Couple separate after 27 years of marriage – as they issue statement saying they’re moving forward ‘with gratitude, love, and kindness’

Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness have announced that they’re ending their marriage after 27 years as husband and wife, DailyMail.com can confirm.

‘We have been blessed to share almost 3 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,’ the couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Friday.

‘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 former couple signed the statement as ‘Deb and Hugh Jackman,’ adding: ‘This is the sole statement either of us will make.’ 

The Australian couple share two children together; Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18. 

Hugh Jackman SPLITS with wife Deborra-Lee Jackman: Couple end their marriage after three decades together as they issue statement saying they’re moving forward ‘with gratitude, love, and kindness’

At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, 54, and they’ve previously stated that they have never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding. 

This April marked the pair’s 27th wedding anniversary and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife. 

‘I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years! I love you so much,’ the actor gushed to his 79.1M social media followers. 

‘Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, and loyalty is an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.’ 

While he is undoubtedly more well known than his wife, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC TV’s 10-episode series Correlli in 1995. 

In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot. 

‘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 okay. You have to make time,’ Hugh told Smooth Radio in February. 

Deborra-Lee most recently played Jill Bailey alongside Eric Bana in Robert Connolly’s sequel Force of Nature: The Dry 2, which was released in Australian and New Zealand theaters on August 24. 

Hugh has never been shy about speaking on his marriage, and praised Deborra-Lee when promoting his hit film The Greatest Showman in 2017. 

In an interview, he called Deborra-Lee his ‘best friend’ and main source of support in both his career, and personal life. 

Hugh said of his partner: ‘I’m married to the greatest woman alive. She’s amazing. We’re best friends, and we share everything. She’s smart.’

Talking about how they never spend longer than two weeks apart, he explained that it was because they wish to ‘share everything’ together. 

This April marked the pair’s 27th wedding anniversary and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife (including this recent photo of the pair) 

Gushing post: Hugh paid tribute to his wife in April with this message on social media  

Inseparable: At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, but they’ve never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding (pictured in 1997)

2012 family portrait: In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot

Cougar vibes: In fact, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC’s 10-episode series Correlli in 1995 

He continued: ‘We always said we’d never spend more than 2 weeks apart. Sometimes life and work does get crazy. 

‘But we met on my first job when she was already a big star, I was a nobody. So we have shared everything, all the ups and downs, and always will.’ 

In a 2021 interview with Anh Do for ABC TV’s Anh’s Brush With Fame, Deborra-Lee revealed how it was her escape from Hollywood and her return to Australia that made it possible for her to fall in love with Hugh.

She described her difficulties trying to book roles while spending time with her friends — and fellow actresses — Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts, but a meeting with a psychic during a particularly low period convinced her to return home to look for work. 

‘She said, “You have to go back to Australia. Everything falls into place in Australia, and you’re going to meet someone, and you have to go,”‘ Deborra-Lee recounted. 

After returning Down Under, she found more work than she had been able to get in Los Angeles, but her most pivotal role from that period was on the series Correlli.

Once she booked the role, she got a positive heads up from producers about her costar, whom they hilariously misnamed as ‘Jack Hughman.’ 

She said she had ‘never heard of him,’ but she said there was ‘instant attraction’ as soon as they got on set together. 

Never far apart: Hugh and Deborra-Lee – pictured in Paris this February – have stated that they never spend longer than two weeks apart

Signs of strife? In July this year, the pair were pictured watching Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2023 men’s final on Centre Court

However, she joked that her girlfriends teased her that he didn’t seem like a good match for her because ‘he looks like he bathes.’ 

Back in November of 2020, Deborra-Lee spoke to People about the importance of her family with Hugh and their children.

‘Family, to me, means you feel safe,’ she confessed.

‘I always use the expression: “All of us need to know that we’re precious,”‘ she continued. ‘So, with family, you’ve always got that you’re important in someone else’s life.’