Hugh Jackman plans to ‘soft launch his relationship with Sutton Foster to test the reaction to their alleged affair’ after revealing she ‘is the reason’ he ended his marriage

Hugh Jackman and his former Music Man leading lady Sutton Foster has made plans to ‘soft launch’ their relationship.

The new clan comes as Hugh’s eestranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness appeared to confirm the affair rumors and the real reason for their September 2023 legal separation in an explosive reaction on social media.

Deborra’s private Instagram account ‘liked’ one October 26 video from gossip blogger Tasha Lustig, who claimed that Hugh’s rumored affair with Sutton was the reason for their split.

Lustig’s post also claims that Hugh and Sutton have planned a ‘soft launch’ of their relationship in public to test the reaction, with the gossip blogger saying they will be ‘having to dream up the Disney story of the ages’ to win over critics.

Hugh Jackman and his former Music Man leading lady, Sutton Foster, have made plans to “soft launch” their relationship to the public (pictured in 2022 at The Music Man opening)

Gossip blogger Tasha Lustig claims Hugh and Sutton have planned a ‘soft launch’ in a video liked by Hugh’s estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness

Hugh, 56, and Sutton, 49, have already attended public events together and appeared smitten with each other at the opening of their show The Music Man on Broadway in February 2022.

They began workshopping Jerry Zaks’ Broadway revival of the 1957 musical in March 2020, before the musical finally reached the post-pandemic stage in February 2022, running for 11 months at the Winter Garden Theater in Manhattan.

According to insiders, their affair during the show was ‘Broadway’s worst kept secret’ and now it is claimed the ‘really happy’ couple are keen to get their relationship out in the open.

‘A lot of people on Broadway knew and we kept it quiet because they’re both such nice and amazing people. Everyone respected their privacy. But there was an affair and overlap. They are really happy now, says a source close to Foster Us Weekly.

They continued: ‘Hugh’s whole image is that he’s the nicest guy in Hollywood, so he doesn’t know what to do with this.’

And while a source told DailyMail.com on October 26 that Furness ‘had her suspicions when Hugh started working with Sutton’, an industry source claimed the opposite to Us Weekly.

“Deborra-Lee was stunned when she found out about the affair during the show,” the insider said.

‘Apparently it was Broadway’s worst-kept secret, and Deborra-Lee was the last to know. (even worse) he owned it!’

“Deborra-Lee was stunned when she found out about the affair over the course of the show,” an insider gushed (Deborra and Hugh pictured in May 2023)

Hugh and Sutton first began workshopping the musical in March 2020, before the musical eventually hit the post-pandemic stage in February 2022, running for 11 months

According to insiders, their affair during the show was ‘Broadway’s worst kept secret’ and now it is claimed the ‘really happy’ couple are keen to go public with their relationship (pictured in 2022)

Resurfaced interviews from The Music Man’s 2022 run have shown how the pair have publicly gushed over each other, with both admitting that working together was ‘a dream come true’.

Sutton spoke highly of the ‘incredibly kind and generous’ Hugh to Vogue when asked about their professional relationship, it gushed ‘he’s now become one of my best friends,’ before adding that ‘we just spent Memorial Day with our families. It’s great fun meeting new friends after 40.’

Meanwhile, a source told Page Six last month that the couple are ‘100 percent together and are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together.

Sutton filed for divorce from her estranged husband Ted Griffin last month after 10 years of marriage. They share daughter Emily, seven (pictured in 2022)

Sutton filed for divorce from her estranged husband Ted Griffin last month after 10 years of marriage. They share a daughter Emily, seven.

Her first marriage was to Tony winner Christian Borle, 51, from 2006 to 2009. Four years later, she confirmed her engagement to Griffin, a screenwriter on Ocean’s Eleven.

Hugh and Deborra, who are parents to son Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 24; and daughter Ava Eliot Jackman, 19, meanwhile, announced their split after 27 years in September 2023.