“They know him better than he does and are constantly surprising him,” the source said. They added: “They’ve become closer than he could have imagined and he can confide in them, whereas before he’d turn to Deb.”
The former couple announced their separation in September last year with a joint statement to People magazine: “We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,” the couple said.
“Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.” They added, “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.”
Following the news, Jackman was approached by a paparazzi on the street in New York City where he confessed it was a “difficult” time.
“It doesn’t feel quite right talking about it on the street, but I appreciate your thoughts, man.” Adding: “It’s a difficult time ...”
Jackman and Furness first met on the set of the 1995 Australian TV series, Correlli. They went on to marry the following year before welcoming their first child.
Jackman had previously declared it was love at first sight with Deborra-Lee and said he knew he wanted to marry the Shame actress weeks after meeting her.
He said on the Today show in 2018: “I knew two weeks into meeting Deb that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives.”
Their marriage was considered one of the most stable in showbiz, but they often faced trolling over their 13-year age-difference.
In 2014, Furness said she felt it was an insult to tell her that she was “lucky” to be married to the younger actor.
She told Woman’s Weekly: “That to me is a putdown. [It’s] like you suggesting I won [a]… raffle. I think we create our own destiny.” Adding: “When people look at my life, they don’t know the challenges [I face], just like I don’t know someone else’s [challenges.]”
