Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness’s love story has come to an end 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 said in a joint statement to People Friday.
“Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
Jackman, 54, and Furness, 67, continued, “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, signed “Deb and Hugh Jackman,” concluded, “This is the sole statement either of us will make.”
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Jackman’s reps declined to comment further, while Furness’s rep did not immediately return our request.
The actors, who both hail from Australia, met on the set of Australian TV series “Correlli” in 1995.
Jackman and Furness tied the knot in 1996 and they share two adopted kids, Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 23, and Ava Eliot Jackman, 18, after struggling to conceive naturally and via IVF.
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“Our motivation behind adopting was, ‘Where is the need?’” the “X-Men” star told People in 2017.
“The biggest need is in mixed-race kids. I want to tell my kids that … it doesn’t matter what sexual [orientation] you are, it doesn’t matter what job you do, it doesn’t matter whether your hair is straight or curly, if you’re tall or short, man or woman, what race you are. What defines you as a human being is underneath all that.”
Jackman and Furness’ long-lasting marriage was often praised for withstanding the test of time in Hollywood.
