Hugh Jackman's Dad Christopher Dead At 84, Passes Away On Australian Father's Day
Sept. 6 2021, Published 10:34 a.m. ET
Hugh Jackman's father, Christopher John Jackman, has died.
The 52-year-old actor made the sad announcement, revealing Christopher's passing happened on Australian Father's Day.
Taking to his social media on Monday, Hugh told his 30 million Instagram followers the emotional news.
Posting a smiling photo of his father, The Greatest Showman star said, "In the early hours of Father’s Day (AU), my Dad peacefully passed away."
Continuing by making sure everyone knows that while "there is deep sadness," he is "filled with such gratitude and love."
Paying tribute to the man his dad was, Hugh ended his heartbreaking statement by writing, "My Dad was, in a word, extraordinary. He devoted his life to his family, his work and his faith. I pray he is now at peace with God."
Hugh has been able to spend quality time with Christopher over the past several months. The actor returned to Australia from New York City where he had been prepping for his Broadway comeback in June.
Christopher raised Hugh as a single father after the actor's mom Grace McNeil took off and moved to England following their divorce.
Hugh has talked about the turmoil it caused the family, especially since his two sisters moved out of Australia and went to live with her.
Speaking out to Who magazine in 2018, Hugh called his mom's move "traumatic," stating, "I thought she was probably going to come back. And then it sort of dragged on and on."
“As I went off to school, when I came back, there was no one there in the house. The next day there was a telegram from England. Mom was there. And then that was it. I don’t think she thought for a second it would be forever," he told Australian's 60 Minutes.
“I think she thought it was, ‘I just need to get away, and I’ll come back’…Dad used to pray every night that Mom would come back.”
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He has since made peace with his mom after learning she had been suffering from depression.
Hugh's father was just 84 years old.
