Deborra-Lee Furness eyes next big move after Hugh Jackman split

Deborra-Lee Furness is eyeing up a possible return to Australia as she moves on from her ex-husband, Hugh Jackman. 

The 69-year-old actress was all smiles as she made a fashion statement on Saturday at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Deborra and Hugh were married for 27 years before they announced their shock separation in 2023 to 'pursue our individual growth', and co-parent two children. 

Hugh, 56, has finally confirmed he's now dating his former Broadway co-star Sutton Foster, 46, amid rampant speculation about the timeline of their romance. 

Insiders claim the US-based Aussie stars' split could get ‘messy’ as the now-estranged couple struggle to divvy up their estimated $250 million fortune without a prenup.

But Deborra oozed confident poise and warmth on the Australian Open red carpet, captivating attendees as she teased a more permanent return to her hometown. 

'Melbourne will always feel like home,' she told the Herald Sun on the carpet. 

'I’ve had a few offers for films back here so I’m still reading some scripts so if there’s something that’s great.'

The Jindabyne star said she has some work lined up in New York, where both she and Hugh are currently based, but that she foresees more travel in her immediate future. 

'I’ve got some projects in New York. I’m in my chapter three. I’m a creative, I love being creative in a variety of areas and I think I’ll be doing more travelling,' she said. 

Deborra added that her children love Australia. Her daughter Ava, 19, is currently on a gap year, while Oscar, 24, is an artist with a studio in Brooklyn, who teaches two days a week. 

'We do one Christmas in New York and one Christmas here,' she said.

'I feel like I’ve been here forever. I love coming back, I grew up here. Every time I go out Ava says "is there anyone you don’t know in Melbourne?"

'They love the simplicity, the food, the culture, they have family and friends here. There’s no place like home as, Dorothy said.' 

Deborra attended the tennis in week one of the Australian Open with Ava, along with friends Alyce Pratt, Paul and Donna Dainty, plus Oscar's girlfriend Grace. 

Her outing comes just days after Hugh was spotted kissing Sutton Foster for the first time since their relationship was exposed.

Hugh and Sutton looked deeply in love and couldn't keep their hands off each other as they repeatedly kissed while in the car at a San Fernando In-N-Out.

Sutton was seen tenderly cradling Jackman's face as they locked lips while waiting to order the fast food in the drive-thru line - days before the LA fires broke out.

The pair were later seen holding hands on a date in Santa Monica.

Deborra and Hugh met back in 1995 on Australian TV show Correlli, when she was a major star, and he was enjoying his first role fresh out of drama school.

He proposed four months later, telling Today in 2018 that he knew two weeks into meeting Furness that they were ‘going to be together for the rest of our lives.'

They were married in Melbourne, Australia, in April 1996 before adopting their son Oscar, in 2000. Five years later they completed their family unit when they adopted daughter Ava. 

Since tying the knot, Jackman has amassed an eye watering fortune, estimated to be around $200 million, thanks to his turn as Wolverine in Marvel's blockbuster comic book franchise. 

They currently own a $3.5 million, 2.5 acre property in East Hampton, New York, which they reportedly rent out for $166,666 per month, a $5.9 million Bondi beach house in Sydney, Australia, and a $21 million penthouse in Manhattan's affluent Chelsea neighbourhood, which they bought one year before they split.