Hugh Jackman and former wife Deborra-Lee Furness’ separation has taken the world by storm. After 27 years of marriage, the two have decided to part ways and “pursue” their individual growth. For a long time, many had deemed their relationship unbreakable, capable of standing the test of time, unlike other Hollywood unions. Tragically, their journey together has concluded in a bittersweet fashion.
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Irrespective of what has transpired recently, the former couple was always there for each other, offering support, expressing respect for one another, and addressing rumors that were otherwise intrusive and obnoxiously speculative. One such gossip that followed them consistently pertained to Hugh Jackman’s sexuality. In a Nicole Kidman-esque fashion, Furness had to come to her ex-husband’s defense when faced with such baseless claims.
Deborra-Lee Furness Addressed The Rumors Of Hugh Jackman’s Sexuality
For years, speculations on Hugh Jackman‘s sexuality plagued the former couple. In a 2013 interview with 60 Minutes (via Huffington Post), the X-Men alum addressed the rumors, expressing his frustration on the matter:
“It’s, to me, not the most interesting thing about a person, anyway. I do get frustrated for Deb, cause I see Deb go, ‘Ah, this is just crazy!'”
In that interview, Furness herself claimed the following, “If he was gay, fine, he would say he’s gay. It’s annoying because it’s not true.” This wasn’t the only instance where the actor had to make a statement about the unfounded assumptions. Addressing how the rumors had taken a toll on his then-wife, Jackman once told THR that he blames the Internet for blowing the issue out of proportion. “Just recently, it bugs her,” claimed the actor.
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Years later, in 2020, Furness appeared on Anh’s Brush with Fame, where she was ready to take the speculations in stride while making light of them, but she also maintained her firm stance on the untruthfulness of these notions. Following was her statement:
“I see these magazines and they’re so mean-spirited… I hope people realize it’s all made up. [Hugh’s] been gay for so many years, I was gay too when I did [the 1988 film] Shame. They were shocked when I got married. […] It’s just wrong. It’s like someone saying to Elton John, ‘Oh he’s straight’. I’m sure he’d be pissed!”
Deborra-Lee Furness is not the only actress who has had to deal with erroneous gossip about their former partner’s sexual orientation. Nicole Kidman, married to action star Tom Cruise at that point, had to confront comparable issues in a 1995 interview.
Nicole Kidman Criticized The Rumor-mongers
Tom Cruise has frequently found himself entangled in several controversies, the majority of which have been severe. Much like Jackman, Cruise’s sexuality has been speculated for ages. There was a time when the Mission: Impossible star’s separation from Kidman was attributed to his alleged “homosexual affair” with a male p*rn star, who had made such claims. In response to the “vicious” accusation, Cruise filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit.
These speculations plagued the former Hollywood couple even before they separated. Nicole Kidman addressed the rumors straightforwardly in a 1995 interview with Vanity Fair.
“I did not marry into a marriage of convenience. I would never, ever do that. You marry for love. We’re both heterosexual. We have a lot of homosexual friends, and neither of us would shy away from having a homosexual role. […] But I take offense if people say I would marry into a marriage of convenience.”
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She also vehemently opposed the notion by stating:
“I’ll bet all my money I’ve ever made, plus his, that he doesn’t have a mistress, that he doesn’t have a gay lover, that he doesn’t have a gay life,”
Therefore, Nicole Kidman, like Deborra-Lee Furness, was compelled to defend her then-husband in the face of such bizarre allegations. Speculations made on personal affairs are not only invasive but also insensitive. It affects those at the forefront of the assumption and those associated with the person. Usually, as was the case with Furness and Kidman, the partners end up facing the brunt of such unwarranted inquisitiveness.
Source: THR, Vanity Fair, Huffington Post, and Anh’s Brush with Fame
