Hugh Jackman addresses Deborra-Lee Furness breakup on camera and admits it's a 'difficult time'

Hugh Jackman has addressed the news that he and Deborra-Lee Furness are divorcing for the first time on camera.

The pair have been married for 27 years, but announced that they had made the decision to separate, citing that they wanted to pursue 'individual growth'.

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They first met back in 1995 on the set of the TV show Corelli, and married in 1996. They have adopted two children together, who are aged 23 and 18.

Jackman and Furness announced that they would be separating in a statement shared with People.

The statement read: "We 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.

"Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives."

It concluded: "This is the sole statement either of us will make."

Jackman has opened up briefly about the divorce on camera.

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While speaking with a member of the paparazzi, the star of X-Men and The Greatest Showman shared that the divorce had been a 'difficult time', though he didn't go into any further detail than that.

He was also asked about work continuing on Deadpool 3. Work was halted on the movie due to strikes by the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA, which are ongoing.

The actor shared that work will continue on the project as soon as it is able to.

Jackman has previously shared how he knew Furness was the one for him just a couple of weeks after the pair first met.

Hugh, 54, had previously told People magazine: "I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll never forget. She took off her seatbelt, and she turned around and put out her hand and took off her sunglasses and said, 'Hi, I’m Deborra-lee Furness, nice to meet you.' I remember thinking, 'I like this girl.'"

Jackman proposed to Furness just four months later, asking her to marry him in the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne.

The pair's last red carpet appearance together was at the Met Gala. They were also seen watching Carlos Alcaraz play Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon in July.