Deborra-Lee Furness is finally speaking out about her headline-making 2023 split from Hugh Jackman, and she’s not holding back.
In a candid new interview, the 69-year-old actress opened up about the emotional rollercoaster she faced after the end of their nearly three-decade-long marriage, and how she’s come out the other side feeling “liberated.”
Talking to DailyMail.com, Deborra-Lee got real about the pain of the breakup but also shared how it became a turning point in her life. “My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,” she said, calling it a “profound wound.” But instead of wallowing, she leaned into her belief in a higher power to guide her through the heartbreak. Whether you call it God, the universe, or just fate, Deborra-Lee credits that trust for helping her find peace after the breakdown of her marriage to Hugh.
The couple, who got married back in 1996 and share two kids, Oscar (24) and Ava (19), were seen as one of Hollywood’s most stable duos. So when they dropped that surprise statement in September 2023 announcing their separation, fans were stunned. But behind the scenes, things were already shifting.
Deborra-Lee says the experience gave her “knowledge and wisdom” she didn’t expect. “Even when we are presented with apparent adversity,” she explained, “it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose.” She called the return to her values, boundaries, and personal integrity a form of “freedom.”
And here’s the kicker, she’s actually grateful for all of it. Yep, even the heartbreak.
“We are all on our individual journeys and I believe that the relationships in our lives are not random,” she said. For Deborra-Lee, the years with Hugh were filled with lessons and reflection. “We are drawn to people, we invite them in, in order to learn our lessons and to recognize and heal the broken parts of ourselves.”
It’s a pretty refreshing take when so many celebrity splits get messy. Not here. Back in 2023, the former couple made it clear they were parting ways with “gratitude, love, and kindness.” In their joint statement at the time, they emphasized that their family would always be the top priority. “Our journey now is shifting,” they wrote, “and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.”
Now, more than a year later, Deborra-Lee’s message feels even more powerful. She’s not bitter. She’s not pointing fingers. She’s just moving forward, and learning who she really is outside of the Hollywood relationship bubble she shared with Hugh for so long.
There’s no doubt the breakup hit hard, but if Deborra-Lee’s words are anything to go by, the ending wasn’t a collapse, it was a reset. One she now sees as a spiritual wake-up call. “It can hurt,” she admitted, “but in the long run, returning to yourself… is liberation.”
While Hugh Jackman hasn’t commented further on the split, both have seemingly moved on quietly. The original statement they released made it clear: “This is the sole statement either of us will make.” But with Deborra-Lee finally speaking her truth, it’s obvious she’s no longer in Hugh’s shadow, and she’s okay with that.
Breakups are messy, even for the rich and famous. But Deborra-Lee Furness just proved that sometimes, heartbreak clears the path to clarity. And sometimes, freedom shows up in the form of a goodbye.
