It's amazing to hear about how so many Hollywood celebrities have had strong marriages right from the get-go. Sure, it's fun to hear about who's dating who — but it's even better to see couples who beat the odds and stay strong, regardless of the fame.
One of those couples happens to be Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness. The two have been together for a long time, ever since meeting on the set of a film in 1995. At the time, Hugh was 28. Deborra-Lee was 14 years his senior.
While age gaps often get thrown around as reasons why relationships don't work, Hugh and Deborra-Lee have beat the odds. According to Lessons Learned in Life, Hugh once said that he knew, shortly after meeting her, that "we were going to be together for the rest of our lives." As of right now, that prediction has come true.
Yet while they made it through the age gap, there have been other rumors that have floated around. For one, many people believe the actor is gay. While his sexuality is his and his alone, Deborra-Lee opened up on how those rumors have affected the couple. Let's just say, she's handling those rumors like a real pro.
Deborra-Lee chatted about her relationship in a tell-all interview on Australian show Anh's Brush With Fame. She mentioned that Hugh admitted his crush on her early on, and she admitted soon after that she liked him, too. The two were inseparable after that moment, and it's still a fond memory for her.
Knowing her husband so well, she's been quick to brush off any rumors that he's gay. She knows they're only rumors, and has admitted that she's had similar rumors pegged on her. "He's been gay so many years," she said. "I was gay, too. You know when I did Shame? I was gay. They were shocked when I got married."
But she also put it in a completely different perspective — it's simply unfair to assign someone a sexuality when you don't even know them. "It's just wrong," she continued. "It's like someone saying to Elton John, 'He's straight.' I'm sure he'd be pissed." The two have been together long before Hugh became famous.
Hugh remembers the first time he met Deborra-Lee. And as he can recall, he was quite intimidated. She was a big star in Australia, and getting the chance to act alongside her in her big TV series, Correlli, was a big break for him. At the time, he never thought he'd end up falling in love.
"My first job out of drama school — it was a massive break for me. I was really scared," Hugh admitted to People. "Deb, she was a big star. 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.'"
Hugh and Deb quickly became friends, and it took weeks for Hugh to make things official. As an actor, he knew it might not be the best idea to pursue a relationship with the star. And since he was fresh out of drama school, he didn't want to make any sort of professional mistakes that could sabotage his career before it really began.
"Deb and I were already best friends, and I realized, I've got a crush on my leading lady. This is the thing you do not do. It's unprofessional and embarrassing," he admitted. "I didn't talk to Deb for a week. Then I was like, 'This is not a good plan.'" It's a good thing he realized ignoring her wouldn't work, or lessen his emotions.
Things took a turn after Hugh decided to throw a dinner party. "I invited 20 people [over for dinner]. She came over and I said, 'Deb, give me a hand with the dessert.' My dad was a great cook, and he taught me how to make crêpes suzette. It's a good hour to make crêpes suzette," Hugh explained.
While in the kitchen, Deb asked him about his week of silence. It was then when Hugh chose to come clean about his feelings. "She said, 'I noticed you haven't talked to me in like a week, what's going on?' I said, 'I got a crush on you. I'll get over it, I'm sorry.' She goes, 'Oh? Because I've got a crush on you, too.' I never in a million years thought she reciprocated," he revealed.
The two tried to keep their relationship under wraps, but according to Hugh, everyone ended up knowing about it anyway. And as he said, the age gap hasn't made any difference. "I'm literally the adult in the relationship," he said. "She's just like a little kid. I'm the [one saying], 'Babe, this is not a legal parking spot.' 'Oh, come on, Mr. Goody-Goody.'"
The two started a family through adoption, especially after struggling with fertility. They're now the parents of Oscar and Ava. "Our motivation behind adopting was, 'Where is the need?'" said Hugh. "The biggest need is in mixed-race kids. I want to tell my kids that it doesn't matter what sexual [orientation] you are, it doesn't matter what job you do, it doesn't matter whether your hair is straight or curly, if you're tall or short, man or woman, what race you are. What defines you as a human being is underneath all that."
To this day, Hugh never forgets to praise his wife online. He's even admitted that the timing of their relationship was actually perfect. Getting together before his career exploded meant that the two of them could navigate through his success as a team. "We've been on this unbelievable journey, places we never thought we'd go to and we've done it together," he said on the Today Show, reports Hello magazine.
While the rumors don't seem to bother the happy couple too much, it's still a bit ridiculous for fans to think they know more than his loving wife of over two decades. Hugh and Deb have spent so much of their lives together and have a strong bond. In fact, they've agreed to never spend more than two weeks apart, which is often tough for actors.
But having rules like that may be why they're still so happy decades later. It's fair to say that Hugh and Deb figured out the key to having a happy marriage, and they've done an excellent job with balancing their careers and their family life. These two, quite obviously, adore each other.
