Latest news with #Jackman
Sydney Morning Herald
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
How Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster became the new ‘Bennifer'
'We got the two-shot, the shot that everyone kind of was waiting for,' said Parshotam, whose Jackman-Foster images published everywhere from American and British tabloids to the covers of Australian newspapers. 'That January made my year,' he added. 'Not just financially, but more as a scoop.' Indeed, the news that Jackman, 56, and Foster, 50, were official lit up theatre group chats, Reddit gossip threads and social media comments across the globe, not to mention a slew of publications that now track their every move. Five months later, the two still have not said a word publicly about their courtship. But their very existence as a couple seems to have hit enough cultural nodes to vault them to near-Bennifer 2.0 status: Hollywood but also Broadway, blockbusters but also niche streaming faves, Australian celebrities, regular celebrities, co-stars falling in love, dating in your 50s, divorcing in your 50s and - perhaps most important – a hint of possible scandal. The story picked up more steam last month when Furness, 69, confirmed to the Daily Mail that she has now officially filed for divorce from Jackman. She also sent a lengthy and vague-yet-pointed statement, allowing readers to do their own maths. 'My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. It's a profound wound that cuts deep,' Furness told the publication. 'However I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us. This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage. I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience.' Loading Representatives for Jackman, Foster and Furness did not respond to requests for comment for this story. It's an unusually messy situation for twocharming entertainers who have spent years accumulating goodwill, moving seamlessly from musical theatre to film and TV and back again. Jackman was an Academy Award nominee for Les Misérables (he's got all but the 'O' in EGOT - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) and is the rare Marvel action hero who can sing and dance. Foster has been nominated for five other Tonys in addition to those two wins and earned a following among young fans for her work in TV. But in the game of fame, critical success can't hold a candle to a juicy real-life love story. Loading 'People are fascinated by Hugh Jackman as an actor, but his love life has always been an even bigger obsession,' said Dax Holt, a former TMZ on-air personality. Holt, who now co-hosts the Hollywood Raw podcast where Parshotam first shared his story of cracking the 'JackFost' case, noted the endless curiosity about Jackman and Furness's marriage: their age gap, the long-running speculation about Jackman's sexuality – and now intrigue about the estrangement timeline. 'Deborra alluding to him being a cheater has poured more gas on the fire,' Holt said. 'I'm not going to lie, it's been an entertaining topic to cover on the podcast.' Part of the excitement is that Jackman and Foster have joined a storied tradition of co-stars who wind up dating. Anika Chapin, a musical theatre dramaturge and writer, recalled seeing an Instagram post shortly after news of the new couple broke. 'I didn't realise this happened in theatre,' one commenter replied. 'I was like, 'Well, of course it happens in theatre',' Chapin said. In film and television, you shoot a romantic scene a handful of times, she noted, while in theatre, you fall in love onstage eight times a week and spend hours together backstage. 'It's so much more of a concentrated experience that it feels like even more of a breeding ground for potential romantic entanglements.' Ben Rimalower, a theatre writer, performer and director, said the rumours about Jackman and Foster were so persistent in Broadway circles – a community drawn to drama both onstage and behind-the-scenes – that the most surprising part about the relationship confirmation was that they were still together. But since Foster in particular is beloved in the theatre world, there seemed to be 'a widespread desire' to let her handle whatever was going on at her own discretion, he said. However, after the news of her marriage ending not long after Jackman's, the chatter increased to a level that couldn't be contained to Midtown Manhattan. 'Even though they are obviously theatre stars, and that's where their careers began, they are both clearly famous at the level where they crossed over,' Rimalower said, adding, 'It's just a really far reach that makes them a lot more interesting to people than the average Broadway couple.' Decades before The Music Man brought them together, Jackman and Foster shared the kind of big-break origin story that theatre kids swoon for. Jackman landed his role as Wolverine in Marvel's 2000 blockbuster X-Men when Dougray Scott, a bigger name at the time, had to drop out due to Mission: Impossible 2 commitments. Foster was hired to understudy Millie Dillmount during Thoroughly Modern Millie 's slow path to Broadway in 2002, but took over the role when the original lead actress fell out with producers days before its out-of-town opening. Jackman emerged as the breakout star of the X-Men ensemble, while Foster won her first Tony. Jackman met Furness five years before X-Men on the Australian TV crime drama Correlli, they wed the following year when he was 27 and she was 40. They later adopted a son and a daughter and were often praised for their public devotion to one another. But as Jackman continued to star in musicals between hit movies, speculation about his sexuality was rampant. In a 60 Minutes Australia interview in 2013, he and Furness expressed irritation about rumours that he was clandestinely gay. 'If I was, I would be,' Jackman told the reporter. ' … But I do get frustrated for Deb, cause I see Deb go, 'Ah, this is just crazy'.' As Foster went on to success in Broadway shows and basic-cable series – ABC Family's Bunheads and TVLand's Younger – she married her Millie co-star Christian Borle, also now a two-time Tony winner, in 2006. They, too, were an object of sotto voce speculation in theatre circles, which Foster addressed in her 2021 memoir Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life – describing how upset she was by tabloid reports of supposed cheating when in fact she and Borle had quietly separated and started seeing other people. (They divorced in 2009.) 'The gossips tried to sum up our demise as simply and salaciously as they could,' Foster wrote. 'But it wasn't that clear-cut.' Ultimately, this story of an old-school backstage romance – except involving 50-somethings! – just proved irresistible for very online gossips, who have found themselves combing through the pair's now years-old promotional interviews for The Music Man: how much they bonded during pandemic-delayed rehearsals, how naturally their professional chemistry developed. Foster told CBS Mornings in 2022 that she and Jackman made a routine of meeting in her dressing room before every show, sitting on the floor to catch up in what she called 'carpet chat'. 'We're kind of this little pair. And it's the greatest thing that's come out of this whole experience, is that I have a new friend,' Foster said. In other interviews, she described how their families spent time together and that her young daughter, whom she adopted with Griffin, called Jackman 'Uncle Hugh'. Loading One of the first hints of scandal came last autumn, not long after Foster confirmed her divorce. Pop culture creator Tasha Lustig posted a video on Instagram to her 227,000 followers where she claimed that Jackman 'blindsided' Furness by 'running off' with Foster. Amanda de Cadenet, a British media personality and part of Furness's crowd, showed up in the comments: 'You are on point with this one,' she wrote. 'My beloved friend Deb is about to have her glow up any moment fyi!' Tabloids and gossip magazines took note that Furness herself 'liked' Lustig's video from her private Instagram account. In an interview with The Washington Post, Lustig said that she knew that Furness followed her on Instagram, and she wasn't too surprised that Furness engaged with the post. Lustig argued that the media all too often reports on celebrity divorce from the man's point of view, so she seeks to give her audience the counter perspective. Plenty of fans sympathised with Furness. 'People are really fond of Deb,' Lustig said, noting she was Jackman's 'ride or die' for years. After four months without a recorded public sighting, Jackman and Foster resurfaced in new paparazzi photos in mid-May that showed them on the streets of New York – another People exclusive, this time with the headline, 'Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster Show Sweet PDA in Rare New Photos Since Confirming Romance.' They are positively beaming as they hold hands, not looking directly at the cameras, but with the aura of stars who know that everyone is watching their every move.
The Age
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
How Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster became the new ‘Bennifer'
'We got the two-shot, the shot that everyone kind of was waiting for,' said Parshotam, whose Jackman-Foster images published everywhere from American and British tabloids to the covers of Australian newspapers. 'That January made my year,' he added. 'Not just financially, but more as a scoop.' Indeed, the news that Jackman, 56, and Foster, 50, were official lit up theatre group chats, Reddit gossip threads and social media comments across the globe, not to mention a slew of publications that now track their every move. Five months later, the two still have not said a word publicly about their courtship. But their very existence as a couple seems to have hit enough cultural nodes to vault them to near-Bennifer 2.0 status: Hollywood but also Broadway, blockbusters but also niche streaming faves, Australian celebrities, regular celebrities, co-stars falling in love, dating in your 50s, divorcing in your 50s and - perhaps most important – a hint of possible scandal. The story picked up more steam last month when Furness, 69, confirmed to the Daily Mail that she has now officially filed for divorce from Jackman. She also sent a lengthy and vague-yet-pointed statement, allowing readers to do their own maths. 'My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. It's a profound wound that cuts deep,' Furness told the publication. 'However I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us. This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage. I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience.' Loading Representatives for Jackman, Foster and Furness did not respond to requests for comment for this story. It's an unusually messy situation for twocharming entertainers who have spent years accumulating goodwill, moving seamlessly from musical theatre to film and TV and back again. Jackman was an Academy Award nominee for Les Misérables (he's got all but the 'O' in EGOT - Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) and is the rare Marvel action hero who can sing and dance. Foster has been nominated for five other Tonys in addition to those two wins and earned a following among young fans for her work in TV. But in the game of fame, critical success can't hold a candle to a juicy real-life love story. Loading 'People are fascinated by Hugh Jackman as an actor, but his love life has always been an even bigger obsession,' said Dax Holt, a former TMZ on-air personality. Holt, who now co-hosts the Hollywood Raw podcast where Parshotam first shared his story of cracking the 'JackFost' case, noted the endless curiosity about Jackman and Furness's marriage: their age gap, the long-running speculation about Jackman's sexuality – and now intrigue about the estrangement timeline. 'Deborra alluding to him being a cheater has poured more gas on the fire,' Holt said. 'I'm not going to lie, it's been an entertaining topic to cover on the podcast.' Part of the excitement is that Jackman and Foster have joined a storied tradition of co-stars who wind up dating. Anika Chapin, a musical theatre dramaturge and writer, recalled seeing an Instagram post shortly after news of the new couple broke. 'I didn't realise this happened in theatre,' one commenter replied. 'I was like, 'Well, of course it happens in theatre',' Chapin said. In film and television, you shoot a romantic scene a handful of times, she noted, while in theatre, you fall in love onstage eight times a week and spend hours together backstage. 'It's so much more of a concentrated experience that it feels like even more of a breeding ground for potential romantic entanglements.' Ben Rimalower, a theatre writer, performer and director, said the rumours about Jackman and Foster were so persistent in Broadway circles – a community drawn to drama both onstage and behind-the-scenes – that the most surprising part about the relationship confirmation was that they were still together. But since Foster in particular is beloved in the theatre world, there seemed to be 'a widespread desire' to let her handle whatever was going on at her own discretion, he said. However, after the news of her marriage ending not long after Jackman's, the chatter increased to a level that couldn't be contained to Midtown Manhattan. 'Even though they are obviously theatre stars, and that's where their careers began, they are both clearly famous at the level where they crossed over,' Rimalower said, adding, 'It's just a really far reach that makes them a lot more interesting to people than the average Broadway couple.' Decades before The Music Man brought them together, Jackman and Foster shared the kind of big-break origin story that theatre kids swoon for. Jackman landed his role as Wolverine in Marvel's 2000 blockbuster X-Men when Dougray Scott, a bigger name at the time, had to drop out due to Mission: Impossible 2 commitments. Foster was hired to understudy Millie Dillmount during Thoroughly Modern Millie 's slow path to Broadway in 2002, but took over the role when the original lead actress fell out with producers days before its out-of-town opening. Jackman emerged as the breakout star of the X-Men ensemble, while Foster won her first Tony. Jackman met Furness five years before X-Men on the Australian TV crime drama Correlli, they wed the following year when he was 27 and she was 40. They later adopted a son and a daughter and were often praised for their public devotion to one another. But as Jackman continued to star in musicals between hit movies, speculation about his sexuality was rampant. In a 60 Minutes Australia interview in 2013, he and Furness expressed irritation about rumours that he was clandestinely gay. 'If I was, I would be,' Jackman told the reporter. ' … But I do get frustrated for Deb, cause I see Deb go, 'Ah, this is just crazy'.' As Foster went on to success in Broadway shows and basic-cable series – ABC Family's Bunheads and TVLand's Younger – she married her Millie co-star Christian Borle, also now a two-time Tony winner, in 2006. They, too, were an object of sotto voce speculation in theatre circles, which Foster addressed in her 2021 memoir Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life – describing how upset she was by tabloid reports of supposed cheating when in fact she and Borle had quietly separated and started seeing other people. (They divorced in 2009.) 'The gossips tried to sum up our demise as simply and salaciously as they could,' Foster wrote. 'But it wasn't that clear-cut.' Ultimately, this story of an old-school backstage romance – except involving 50-somethings! – just proved irresistible for very online gossips, who have found themselves combing through the pair's now years-old promotional interviews for The Music Man: how much they bonded during pandemic-delayed rehearsals, how naturally their professional chemistry developed. Foster told CBS Mornings in 2022 that she and Jackman made a routine of meeting in her dressing room before every show, sitting on the floor to catch up in what she called 'carpet chat'. 'We're kind of this little pair. And it's the greatest thing that's come out of this whole experience, is that I have a new friend,' Foster said. In other interviews, she described how their families spent time together and that her young daughter, whom she adopted with Griffin, called Jackman 'Uncle Hugh'. Loading One of the first hints of scandal came last autumn, not long after Foster confirmed her divorce. Pop culture creator Tasha Lustig posted a video on Instagram to her 227,000 followers where she claimed that Jackman 'blindsided' Furness by 'running off' with Foster. Amanda de Cadenet, a British media personality and part of Furness's crowd, showed up in the comments: 'You are on point with this one,' she wrote. 'My beloved friend Deb is about to have her glow up any moment fyi!' Tabloids and gossip magazines took note that Furness herself 'liked' Lustig's video from her private Instagram account. In an interview with The Washington Post, Lustig said that she knew that Furness followed her on Instagram, and she wasn't too surprised that Furness engaged with the post. Lustig argued that the media all too often reports on celebrity divorce from the man's point of view, so she seeks to give her audience the counter perspective. Plenty of fans sympathised with Furness. 'People are really fond of Deb,' Lustig said, noting she was Jackman's 'ride or die' for years. After four months without a recorded public sighting, Jackman and Foster resurfaced in new paparazzi photos in mid-May that showed them on the streets of New York – another People exclusive, this time with the headline, 'Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster Show Sweet PDA in Rare New Photos Since Confirming Romance.' They are positively beaming as they hold hands, not looking directly at the cameras, but with the aura of stars who know that everyone is watching their every move.
RTÉ News
19 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Bernard Jackman: Andy Farrell has skills to deal with any 'Irish bias' claims within Lions squad
Bernard Jackman believes Andy Farrell's "biggest challenge" will be to allay any perception of partiality towards the Ireland contingent in his British and Irish Lions squad as they prepare for Friday's tour opener against Argentina at Aviva Stadium, but backs the head coach to have the man-management skills to smooth over any issues. The Englishman has led Ireland to two Six Nations titles, including the 2023 Grand Slam, and his trust in players from this nation is reflected by their dominance in both the squad selection and staff make-up for the upcoming tour to Australia. Finlay Bealham's call-up in place of the injured Scotland tighthead Zander Fagerson has brought the contingent of Ireland players to 16, with England (13), Scotland (8) and Wales (2) rounding out the 39-strong travelling party A good chunk of that Irish number will have a strong case to start the first Test against Australia in Brisbane on 19 July and speaking on RTÉ 2fm's Game On, Jackman said picking a Lions team would be quite distinct from the challenge of navigating Ireland team selection. "I think it's going to be the biggest challenge Andy Farrell is going to have is that there is never a peep out of anybody who's not picked for Ireland in Ireland because there's a sense of he's very fair and he's very good at explaining why players aren't picked and giving them areas they need to improve upon," he said. "But that's a little bit different because there's a hierarchy there, so players earn their stripes, there's very little turnover in the Irish squad because the team tend to win, players perform well. "So the guys who are the non-23, they don't really have a great case because they're not tried and tested internationals." The task of picking a Lions XI would be much different considering the players in the squad are the cream of the crop of their respective nations. "Whereas here, you're going to leave out fellas who are superstars in their own country or superstars in their club and have a big reputation and maybe have big egos," Jackman continued. "And if they feel that there's a bias towards Irish players, that could be difficult. I think Farrell has the man-management skills to deal with that. "But he has given them a definite argument by how many Irish players, coaches and backroom staff - Gary Keegan, the mental skills coach was added this week, the head of S&C (and) head of performance is Irish, the head analyst is Irish - so there is a big Irish influence. "But honestly, if anyone can do it, Farrell can do it. But certainly if it becomes clear quite early that he's going to pick more Irish players and (if) they haven't earned the right, that's the challenge. "The pressure is now on his Irish players to show they're better and I think if they do that, it'll be okay. "But if there are a lot of marginal calls (that) go towards the Irish players, there could be a bit of disharmony and we've seen that disrupt and destroy Lions tours in the past."
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Hugh Jackman's one-man NYC show takes a hit at the box office amid Deborra-Lee Furness divorce
The spotlight's dimmed on Hugh Jackman's one-man show, as ticket prices are slashed to boost sluggish sales. The 56-year-old actor is currently starring in 'Hugh's From New York with Love' at NYC's Radio City Music Hall — but it seems the demand isn't quite matching the supply. Fans can snag seats for Friday's performance starting at just $98, while Saturday's matinee tickets are available for as low as $60. 4 The spotlight's dimmed on Hugh Jackman's one-man show, as ticket prices are slashed to boost sluggish Hugh Jackman Premium seats go for $212 — a bargain compared to Paul Simon's nearby show at the Beacon Theatre, where tickets are fetching up to $680. It's reported that Jackman was 'struggling' to sell tickets for the show, which debuted on Broadway in January, according to the Daily Mail. The 'Greatest Showman' actor's one-man show is slated for eight more nights in July, August, September and October. The Post has reached out to Radio City Music Hall and Jackman's reps for comment. Reports of slow ticket sales come just weeks after Deborra-Lee Furness, Jackman's wife of 28 years, filed for divorce from the actor following a year-long separation. 4 The 56-year-old actor is currently starring in 'Hugh's From New York with Love' at NYC's Radio City Music Hall. GC Images 4 It's reported that Jackman was 'struggling' to sell tickets for the show, which debuted on Broadway in January. GC Images Furness broke her silence on the split last month, seemingly alluding to Jackman's alleged affair with his Broadway co-star Sutton Foster. 'My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal,' Furness said. 'It's a profound wound that cuts deep. However I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us.' The Australian actress added, 'This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage. I have gained much knowledge and wisdom through this experience. Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose.' 'It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom,' she said, sharing that 'one thing' she's learned is that 'none of this is personal.' 4 Deborra-Lee Furness, Jackman's wife of 28 years, filed for divorce last month following a year-long separation. thehughjackman/Instagram 'We are all on our individual journeys and I believe that the relationships in our lives are not random,' she went on. '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…I remain grateful.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hugh Jackman ‘Avengers: Doomsday' Rumors Heat up After New Photo Surfaces
If Marvel is attempting to keep things under tight wraps and avoid spoilers, as fans have become accustomed to, someone forgot to tell Hugh Jackman's longtime stunt double, Daniel Stevens. While Jackman has already side-stepped the question of whether he'll portray Wolverine in the 2026 movie Avengers: Doomsday, a recent photo posted by Stevens immediately grabbed fans' attention on Friday, June 13. As MCU Film News revealed, Stevens posted a photo that was said to be from Pinewood Studios, the location where Avengers: Doomsday filming is currently happening. Stevens even wrote on the photo that it was from "the trailer," which only added to the speculation. While Jackman obviously wasn't in the photo, it goes without saying that it's unlikely there's any reason for his stunt double to be at filming for the movie, and Jackman himself to be absent. Beyond that, Jackman interestingly posted a video of himself working out on Friday, which many fans connected to the movie, citing the belief that he was preparing for filming. "This and his stunt double posting a picture in a trailer in the same location, we getting our boy back," said one fan. "Hugh says he hates working out for wolverine but then he shows his whole work out routine," replied another. Jackman's character, Wolverine, is among the most popular, and he's played the role since the 2000 film X-Men. So, not surprisingly, fans were excited about the prospect of him reprising the role for the upcoming Avengers movie. While the stars seem to be aligning for Wolverine to appear in Doomsday, fans may want to hold off on getting too excited until Marvel or Jackman provides an official Jackman 'Avengers: Doomsday' Rumors Heat up After New Photo Surfaces first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 14, 2025
