Hugh Jackman Is Healing and Focused on the Future, Reveals Close Friend

Hugh Jackman’s childhood friend shared a candid perspective on the actor’s life post-divorce. These remarks come after recent emotional comments made by Jackman’s ex-wife, Deborra-Lee Furness.

(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Gus Worland — a beloved Australian radio and TV personality who’s known Jackman since kindergarten — opened up on the Ben Fordham Live radio show on Thursday, May 29. 

Worland Shares Update on Hugh Jackman’s Life Post-Split

He was asked about Furness’ recent comments describing her 27-year marriage to Jackman as “a traumatic journey of betrayal.”

(Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images)

Worland acknowledged the emotional weight of the last few years, saying, “It’s not just that statement, but just the last couple of years have been difficult.” He added, “No one wants anyone to go through what they’ve been through, and, of course, they go through everything publicly because of the type of people and the fame that they have.”

Worland has stood by his longtime friend without judgment. “One thing that I’ve been really strict on, or disciplined on … is to let them do what they’ve had to do,” he said. (Listen to the podcast here.)

He also shared that he had recently spent time with Jackman in New York. “I was over in New York with [Jackman] just last month, and he’s fine. He is going along well. He’s moving on with his life and I hope that Deb does as well.”

Worland and Jackman are more than friends — they’re chosen family. As godparents to each other’s firstborn children, Worland expressed his ongoing concern for Jackman and Furness’ kids: “I just go to the kids and go, ‘What can we do to make sure that they’re going to get through this as well as possible?’”

Jackman and Furness, who share sons Oscar, 25, and Louis, 19, tied the knot in 1996 and announced their separation in September 2023.

Furness Calls Split a “Profound Wound” but Finds Strength in Faith

Furness, who filed for divorce on May 23, shared her reflections in a heartfelt statement, which was first published by the Daily Mail and shared with PEOPLE.

(Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

She called the separation “a profound wound that cuts deep,” but emphasized her faith and personal growth. “However, I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us,” she wrote. “This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage.”

(Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images)

Furness shared that the experience has brought wisdom and inner strength: “Even when we are presented with apparent adversity, it is leading us to our greatest good, our true purpose. It can hurt, but in the long run, returning to yourself and living within your own integrity, values and boundaries is liberation and freedom.”

She concluded on a spiritual note: “We are all on our individual journeys and I believe that the relationships in our lives are not random… I remain grateful.”

In recent months, Jackman has been seen publicly with his former “Music Man” co-star Sutton Foster, with whom he’s been romantically linked since January 2025.

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