Unearthed Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster photos suggest wild chemistry before his divorce

All eyes are on Hugh Jackman, 56, and Sutton Foster, 49, with the former co-stars reportedly dating in real life. The news comes weeks after Sutton filed for divorce from her screenwriter husband Ted Griffin, with whom she shares a seven-year-old daughter, Emily.

Hugh shocked the world in 2023 when he and his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness ended their 27-year marriage, as they had been known as one of Hollywood's rare success stories. The couple share children Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 24; and daughter Ava Eliot Jackman, 19.

The chemistry Hugh and Sutton once displayed on stage in The Music Man has now reportedly taken a real-life turn, with Us Weekly publishing claims that the pair are together and that their friendship has turned romantic. The celebs have known each other for over 20 years and have often gushed about each other as "best friends".

TheYounger star has posted numerous photos of her and Hugh to Instagram over the years, with many showing the pair looking cosy or even gazing at each other fondly. The pics suggest there has always been a strong connection between the two, fuelling the speculation even further.

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster's long friendship

Though the two met through work, they appeared to establish a fast friendship, often gushing about each other in interviews, and Sutton Foster's Instagram details their friendship over the years, from throwback photos from the early '00s to behind-the-scenes shows as they worked together on The Music Man.

In December 2021, Hugh tweeted a photo of their rehearsal before the show's premiere, paying tribute to Sutton. "There are hundreds of people who’ve made this moment happen. But there’s one in particular I pay tribute to – Sutton Foster. This show is nothing without you. You’re an exceptional talent and friend. Your joy brings the company of @MusicManBway to life. Let’s do this!"

Sutton told Vogue in 2022 what it was like to work with Hugh, saying, "He has an impeccable reputation of being the hardest-working man, incredibly kind, and generous — and all of that is true. He disarms everyone, and he doesn’t make anything about him."

She added, "He’s now become one of my best friends, which was a surprise, because you usually go into these things thinking, 'Well, I hope we get along.' But we just spent Memorial Day with our families. It’s really fun to meet new friends after 40."

In a performance of The Music Man in 2022, Sutton also paid tribute to Hugh after he stopped the curtain call to shout out Sutton's accolades after she won an award.

"@thehughjackman is a gem. Here he is, stopping the curtain call at @musicmanbway last night to make a special announcement because he had “something very special” to tell everyone ❤️," she posted.

Hugh had a similar moment months prior, where he ended the curtain call by wishing Sutton happy birthday and making the crowd sing to her, calling Sutton "one of the best actors alive today".

In an interview with Live with Kelly and Ryan, Sutton also spoke about the pre-show ritual she and Hugh had, nicknamed 'carpet chat'.

“We hang out in my dressing room before every show and just catch up,” Foster explained, saying her dressing room was often a mess. "We sit on the carpet.”

Are Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster a couple?

On October 26, Deborra-Lee Furness reportedly used her private Instagram account to like a post uploaded by Tasha Lustig, in which the UK pop culture reporter spoke about the rumoured relationship between Hugh and Sutton and said that Furness had allegedly been "blindsided".

Deborra-Lee's friend British media personality Amanda de Cadenet responded by writing, "You are on point with this one. My beloved friend Deb is about to have her glow up any moment fyi!”

“A lot of people on Broadway knew, and we kept it quiet because both of them are so nice and great people," one source said of the alleged romance between Sutton and Hugh. "Everyone respected their privacy.”

Deborra-Lee Furness spotted out with Robbie Williams, amid Hugh Jackman affair rumour

After all the swirling speculation around Hugh and Sutton, Deborra-Lee marked her first public appearance since the news broke, attending the premiere of Robbie Williams' 'Better Man' biopic.

She was all smiles as she posed alongside Robbie, sporting a casual look, but has yet to make any public comment on the Hugh and Sutton rumours.

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What Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster have said about their relationship

So far, Hugh nor Sutton have made any comment about the nature of their relationship. A source told Page Six the two are just like a "regular couple".

“They spend all of their free time together,” the source said. “They are a regular couple, they are just in private.”

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