Hugh Jackman's estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness seen WITHOUT ring

Hugh Jackman’s estranged wife Deborra-Lee Furness is pictured WITHOUT her wedding band in New York City just DAYS before announcing shock split after 27 years of marriage

  • Jackman, 54, and Furness, 67, announced the end of 27-year marriage on Friday 
  • The Australian couple share two children together: Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18
  • READ MORE: The pair issued a joint statement Friday confirming the shock split

Deborra-Lee Furness, the estranged wife of Hugh Jackman, was pictured on a solo outing in New York City on Tuesday, just three days before the couple announced they were separating after 27 years of marriage.

The 67-year-old Australian actress looked casual yet elegant as she stepped into a waiting SUV while out on the town.

Notably, she appeared to be without her wedding ring, though it’s unclear how consistently she wore it even before the separation news.

DailyMail.com confirmed on Wednesday that she and her 54-year-old husband were separating after nearly three decades together.

‘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,’ the couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Friday.

Single life: Deborra-Lee Furness, the estranged wife of Hugh Jackman, was seen on a solo outing in New York City on Tuesday — just three days before they announced their separation — while going without her wedding band

The end: ‘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,’ the couple said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE on Friday

‘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.’

The former couple signed the statement as ‘Deb and Hugh Jackman,’ adding: ‘This is the sole statement either of us will make.’ 

The Australian couple share two children together: Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18. 

For her trip on Tuesday in the Big Apple, Deborra-Lee wore a black short-sleeve tiered top with a matching set of black pleated shorts.

She stood out with tall black-and-white vertically striped socks that reached up to her knees, and she complemented the playful look with black patent leather shoes with white toes and platform soles. 

She carried a simple black handbag in one hand and wore her platinum blond hair tied back with her long bangs framing her face. 

Deborra-Lee’s left ring finger was apparently bare, though she has often worn a wedding band or engagement ring on it.

She had a sparkler on just over a year ago when she planted a romantic kiss on Hugh’s lips while they walked to red carpet at the Venice Film Festival.

The couple were celebrating the premiere of his film of his film The Son, which was savaged by critics.

Back in black: She wore a black top and matching shorts, along with tall black-and-white striped socks and matching platforms shoes. Although she went without her wedding ring, she appears to have gone without it previously, sometimes even with Hugh at her side

Furness was spotted at the US Open on September 5 with Huma Abedin 

Here today, gone tomorrow: Deborra-Lee’s left ring finger was apparently bare, though she has often worn a wedding band or engagement ring on it, as she did while kissing Hugh at the Venice Film Festival in September 2022 (pictured)

Disappearing act: However, when they were seen together in May of this year at the Met Gala in New York City, Deborra-Lee was notably missing her wedding ring, though she did wear another ring on her pinky finger

However, when they were seen together in May of this year at the Met Gala in New York City, Deborra-Lee was notably missing her wedding ring, though she did wear another ring on her pinky finger.

The couple still appeared to be affectionate though, and they wrapped their arms around each other and beamed for the cameras.

Deborra-Lee is 13 years Hugh’s senior, and they’ve previously stated that they have never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding. 

This April marked the pair’s 27th wedding anniversary, and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife. 

‘I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 years! I love you so much,’ the actor gushed to his 79.1M social media followers. 

‘Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, and loyalty is an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.’ 

While he is undoubtedly more well known than his wife, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC TV’s 10-episode series Correlli in 1995. 

In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot. 

‘I think honesty and intimacy and making time [are the secret to a long and happy marriage]. You can’t just assume that things will just tick along okay. You have to make time,’ Hugh told Smooth Radio in February. 

Deborra-Lee most recently played Jill Bailey alongside Eric Bana in Robert Connolly’s sequel Force of Nature: The Dry 2, which was released in Australian and New Zealand theaters on August 24. 

Hugh has never been shy about speaking on his marriage, and praised Deborra-Lee when promoting his hit film The Greatest Showman in 2017. 

In an interview, he called Deborra-Lee his ‘best friend’ and main source of support in both his career, and personal life. 

Big day: This April marked the pair’s 27th wedding anniversary and the Wolverine star posted a gushing tribute to his wife (including this recent photo of the pair) 

Gushing post: Hugh paid tribute to his wife in April with this message on social media  

Inseparable: At 67, the Australian blonde is 13 years older Hugh, but they’ve never spent more than two weeks apart since their 1996 wedding (pictured in 1997)

2012 family portrait: In 2000, The Music Man thespian and Furness adopted son Oscar Maximilian, 23, in 2005, they adopted now 18-year-old daughter Ava Eliot

Cougar vibes: In fact, Deborra-Lee had already shot 20 movies by the time she and Jackman met while costarring as a prison psychologist and a brain-damaged convict in ABC’s 10-episode series Correlli in 1995 

Hugh said of his partner: ‘I’m married to the greatest woman alive. She’s amazing. We’re best friends, and we share everything. She’s smart.’

Talking about how they never spend longer than two weeks apart, he explained that it was because they wish to ‘share everything’ together. 

He continued: ‘We always said we’d never spend more than 2 weeks apart. Sometimes life and work does get crazy. 

‘But we met on my first job when she was already a big star, I was a nobody. So we have shared everything, all the ups and downs, and always will.’ 

In a 2021 interview with Anh Do for ABC TV’s Anh’s Brush With Fame, Deborra-Lee revealed how it was her escape from Hollywood and her return to Australia that made it possible for her to fall in love with Hugh.

She described her difficulties trying to book roles while spending time with her friends — and fellow actresses — Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts, but a meeting with a psychic during a particularly low period convinced her to return home to look for work. 

‘She said, “You have to go back to Australia. Everything falls into place in Australia, and you’re going to meet someone, and you have to go,”‘ Deborra-Lee recounted. 

After returning Down Under, she found more work than she had been able to get in Los Angeles, but her most pivotal role from that period was on the series Correlli.

Moving fast: It was only weeks after they began dating that Hugh asked Deborra-Lee to marry him, and the couple wed in 1996

Colleagues: Deborra-Lee told People last year that she helped Hugh by running lines with him, and she joked she could have taken over as his costar in The Music Man; seen in February in Paris

Once she booked the role, she got a positive heads up from producers about her costar, whom they hilariously misnamed as ‘Jack Hughman.’ 

She said she had ‘never heard of him,’ but she said there was ‘instant attraction’ as soon as they got on set together. 

However, she joked that her girlfriends teased her that he didn’t seem like a good match for her because ‘he looks like he bathes.’ 

The two would develop a close personal and professional relationship, and Deborra-Lee revealed to People in February 2022 that she would help Hugh learn his lines while he was working on The Music Man musical.

‘We do everything together,’ she said, before clarifying that she left the ‘tap dancing’ to her entertainer husband.

She even boasted that she could have taken over for his costar Sutton Foster ‘in a pinch’ because she knew her lines so well, though she wasn’t keen about the idea.

‘You’d have to push me onto the stage,’ she joked. 

Back in November of 2020, Deborra-Lee spoke to People about the importance of her family with Hugh and their children.

Signs of strife? In July this year, the pair were pictured watching Carlos Alcaraz vs Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon 2023 men’s final on Centre Court

The odd couple: In a 2021 interview for Anh’s Brush With Fame, Deborra-Lee joked that her girlfriends though Hugh was an odd match for her because ‘he looks like he bathes’

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Oin6QSVKdEU%3Frel%3D0

‘Family, to me, means you feel safe,’ she confessed.

‘I always use the expression: “All of us need to know that we’re precious,”‘ she continued. ‘So, with family, you’ve always got that you’re important in someone else’s life.’

In a 2017 interview with People, Deborra-Lee spoke about what made their marriage last as long as it did while attending the National Night of Laughter and Song with Hugh.

‘We meditate together,’ she shared. ‘And sometimes we have friends over to do it, too. It’s a lovely Sunday-morning thing. Everyone comes over, and then we have breakfast.’

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