Ya got trouble, right here on Broadway. With a capital T, and that rhymes with C, and that stands for … Cheating? Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster have not confirmed or denied that they are dating. But if they are, people want to know if they were stepping out on their spouses when it started. But that’s only if they’re dating! Which, again, is still just a rumor. But if those rumors are true, Jackman’s ex Deborra-Lee Furness is also rumored to be pissed the hell off. Read on for a timeline of the maybe relationship and the definite end of two marriages. Also, the magic of the theater!
March 2019: A revival of The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman is announced for a fall 2020 opening. Later that month, Sutton Foster is crowned Queen of the Librarians. The whole thing is being produced by megaproducer Scott Rudin, who successfully put on the revival of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler. Honey, you’ve got a big storm coming. A couple storms, actually.
June 2020: Thanks to COVID-19, Hugh Jackman’s The Music Man is postponed to spring 2021. But then it’ll be smooth sailing for producer Scott Rudin, right? Right?
April 2021: In an exposé for The Hollywood Reporter, Scott Rudin is accused of abusive behavior by former staff. Incidents reported in the story include Rudin throwing a baked potato at an assistant, smashing a monitor on an assistant’s hand, and being a font of endless verbal abuse and “mistreatment.â€
A week later, Rudin announces that he is stepping back from Broadway shows, including The Music Man. “After a period of reflection, I’ve made the decision to step back from active participation on our Broadway productions, effective immediately,†he tells the Washington Post, while not really explaining what “active†participation means.
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman both make statements on Rudin. Foster reportedly had threatened to leave The Music Man if Rudin did not step away.
“I apologize if it seems like I wasn’t actively trumpeting my feelings, but I felt like the noise of — I couldn’t get a clear mind, and I really needed to step away,†Foster tells THR. “I never had to deal with anything like this before, and I think 46 years on this Earth deserves that. I’m mature enough to be able to take the time, and I think people should allow it. I really am excited about returning to Broadway, and may we just continue the change and that’s all I’m going to say. I just feel, really, it’s an unbelievably unfortunate situation, but the only positive outcome is the one that is happening. And I know Hugh feels exactly the same way.â€
December 2021: Previews for the twice-delayed Music Man begin, with opening night set for February 10, 2022. Foster and Jackman go HAM on social media praising each other for finally getting the dang thing on Broadway. “This show is nothing without you,†Jackman tweets of Foster. “You’re an exceptional talent and friend. Your joy brings the company of @MusicManBway to life. Let’s do this!†Meanwhile, Foster says it’s “a dream to be dancing with Hugh every night†on IG.
February 2022: The Music Man premieres on Broadway. Sutton Foster crochets Hugh Jackman a marching-band shako for the occasion. She also posts this pic:
The show closes in January of 2023, a box-office success. Although nominated for six Tonys, it wins zero.
September 2023: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness announce their separation after 27 years of marriage. “We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage,†they said in a joint statement to People. “Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.†The Aussie couple emphasizes that “Our family has been and always will be our highest priority.â€
December 2023: The rumors and nastiness begin. In Touch publishes a story claiming that an affair between Jackman and Foster was the inciting incident for the breakup of the Jackman-Furness marriage. “Their romance is an open secret on Broadway,†one source says, while another states that Jackman has been besotted with Foster from the moment he met her. “He followed her around like a puppy!â€
October 2024: Foster files for divorce from husband Ted Griffin after almost ten years of marriage.
November 2024: Tea is being spilled in the Instagram likes! Gossip blogger Tasha Lustig said Furness was “blindsided†by Jackman’s affair with Foster, and that it was the main cause of their divorce. Furness liked the post from her private IG, per Us Weekly. And her friend Amanda de Cadenet commented, “You are on point with this one. My beloved friend Deb is about to have her glow up any moment fyi!â€