Sutton Foster Said She Was Crazy About Hugh Jackman When They Met
Sutton Foster once listed all the reasons she felt lucky to finally work with Hugh Jackman after years of knowing each other.
Celebrity
Sutton Foster formed instant chemistry with Hugh Jackman when they collaborated for the play āThe Music Manā.
by Antonio Stallings
Published on January 17, 2025
Hugh Jackman was reportedly smitten by Sutton Foster, following her around Broadway like a puppy. But the feeling was mutual. Foster gave an interview about her time with Jackman that mightāve given more insight into their growing relationship.
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman | Jenny Anderson / Getty Images
Many have been looking at Foster and Jackman a little more closely since the pair were first linked together. Some body language experts even weighed in, with one feeling that the pair exhibited very noncommital body language. Long before their recent romance, however, the two actors were already quite familiar with each other. The Younger star met Jackman in 2003, and the pair have reconnected a couple of times in passing since then. But they wouldnāt officially work together until the 2021 Broadway play The Music Man. In a 2022 interview with Today, Foster had nothing but kind words to say about her stage partner. But she confided that she was more impressed by his humanity than his abilities as a performer.
āHeās extraordinary. But as talented as he is, he is even more great as a human being. He is generous, and kind, and Iām just crazy about him. I just feel like the luckiest woman in the world,ā she said.
She echoed similar statements when she talked about Jackman in an interview with Vogue. Although theyād known each other for years, the pair didnāt truly bond until working on Music Man.
āHe has an impeccable reputation of being the hardest working man, incredibly kind, and generousāand all of that is true,ā she said. āHe disarms everyone, and he doesnāt make anything about him. And heās now become one of my best friends, which was a surprise, because you usually go into these things thinking,Ā āWell, I hope we get along.Ā But we just spent Memorial Day with our families.ā Itās really fun to meet new friends after 40.ā
Jackmanās ex-wife, Deborra Lee-Furness, always found divorce to be a frightening concept. But it was a reality sheād have to deal with after she and Jackman announced they were separating in a joint statement to People.
āWe have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together 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,ā they said.
Given that their divorce happened a couple of years after Jackman worked with Foster, this caused some speculation the X-Men actor had an affair with his Music Man co-star. One source claimed to Us Weekly that there was some truth to the rumors.
āSutton and Hughās relationship is the reason Hugh and Deb got divorced,ā Foster said. āA 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.ā
The source further alleged that Jackman wasnāt very forthcoming to his ex-wife regarding his feelings about Foster. However, it wasnāt a well-kept secret for most who worked with them on Broadway.
āDeborra-lee was blindsided when she found out about the affair through the run of the show,ā another source claimed. āIt was apparently Broadwayās worst-kept secret, and Deborra-lee was the last to know.ā
āBut Sutton has told people on Broadway about the relationship,ā the source added. āEveryone [there] has known about this for a long time.ā
What added further fuel to the gossip was Lee-Furness reportedly liking a social media post by a blogger who believed Jackman did have an affair. Only time might tell if thereās any merit to the gossip. As for now, Foster and Jackman donāt seem all that bothered by the rumors. Their relationship has only become more public.
āTheyāre happier than ever,ā the source claimed