Revealed: The 'Innocent' Pre-Show Ritual That Sparked Hugh Jackman's Controversial Romance With Sutton Foster — Which Left His Ex-Wife 'Devastated'
The pair met while working on 'The Music Man' on Broadway and were reportedly in cahoots 'on and off stage.'
Jan. 22 2025, Published 4:12 p.m. ET
The "innocent" pre-show ritual that sparked Hugh Jackman's controversial romance with Sutton Foster has been revealed.
RadarOnline.com can report the actor's ex-wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, has been left "devastated" over her former husband moving on with his co-star.
The new couple reportedly sparked up a romance while co-starring in the 2022 Broadway revival of 'The Music Man'.
In a 2022 resurfaced interview on Live With Kelly and Ryan, Foster said she and the actor took part in a pre-show ritual, which they called "carpet chat."
She explained: "We hang out in my dressing room before every show and just catch up.
"Somehow we ended up sitting, maybe because my dressing room's a mess, but we sit on the carpet."
Foster, 49, called their pre-show ritual a "wonderful thing" and helped turn them into "really good friends."
She added: "That's been one of the best parts of the whole thing, that I've made this wonderful new friend."
Jackman and Foster were co-stars in the Broadway play The Music Man, which ran from February 2022 to January 2023 at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City.
Foster was previously married to writer Ted Griffin for 10 years before filing for divorce.
Just months after the Broadway show wrapped up, Jackman and his now ex-wife announced their split in September 2023 after nearly three decades of marriage.
At the time of their split, Jackman and Furness released a joint statement announcing their separation.
The former couple said: "We have been blessed to share almost three decades 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."
After the statement, fans started speculating if Jackman and Foster's relationship turned romantic.
The two finally went public with their relationship earlier this month after the two were seen locking lips in Los Angeles.
Before that outing, the new couple was also seen holding hands on a date in Santa Monica.
Deborra-Lee Furness is reportedly 'devastated' by her ex's new romance.
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Despite keeping the romance under wraps at first, according to sources, Jackman and Foster's relationship has been "Broadway's worst-kept secret."
An insider previously told Us Weekly: "A lot of people on Broadway knew, and we kept it quiet because both of them are so nice and great people. Everyone respected their privacy. But there was an affair and overlap."
Prior to the actor's split with his wife, he used to "get angry" when Furness would "joke about him leaving her for a younger woman, so there's a lot of complicated emotions."
Even though Jackman and Foster are "really happy together," the duo has avoided making their romance public because of his "fear of hurting Deb even more."
But Jackman isn't the only one going through a divorce.
In October 2024, Foster filed for divorce from her husband, Ted Griffin, just days before their 10th wedding anniversary.
The former couple share one daughter together, whom they adopted in 2017, a daughter named Emily.
