Once a darling of Broadway, Sutton Foster is now facing a public reckoning unlike anything she’s ever seen in her decades-long career.
After going public with actor Hugh Jackman following the end of his 27-year-long marriage to Deborra-Lee Furness, the Younger star has found herself at the center of a PR maelstrom—one so fierce she was forced to disable comments on her Instagram profile this week.
The shift in public sentiment has been nothing short of whiplash-inducing.
Just months ago, Foster’s comment sections were filled with admiration: “Sutton the Queen. I love her! So freaking talented,” a fan wrote.
Now, far less positive comments decorate her social media posts: “Being a home wrecker of two different households. Imagine having the mentality to live with that.”
Sutton Foster was forced to turn comments off on her Instagram following massive backlash over Hugh Jackman relationship
Image credits: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
The post in question was celebrating Foster’s attendance of the Drama Desk Awards, an annual prize that recognizes excellence in the New York theatre scene.
In it, she posed smiling with confidence and composure alongside friend Michael Urie in a glamorous black outfit. But while she celebrated, her public image was in freefall.
Image credits: suttonlenore
As Bored Panda previously reported, the backlash was already intensifying following reports that she and Jackman had a long and intimate history stretching back nearly two decades.
Fans put the timeline of their budding romance under renewed scrutiny, accusing them of having cheated on their respective partners as far back as 2008.
Image credits: suttonlenore
At the time, both stars were still married: Jackman to Furness, and Foster to her first husband, actor Christian Borle.
“They have been exposed as being cheaters for years,” a former fan wrote at the time.
According to Furness, betrayal played a role in her marriage with the 56-year-old actor unraveling, and while she didn’t go into explicit detail about the nature of said deception, many believe Jackman and Foster’s affair was at least “emotional.”
The attraction between Foster and Jackman was allegedly an open secret within the industry
Image credits: suttonlenore
For instance, during the 68th Annual Tony Awards in 2014. The chemistry between the two was on full display as the pair performed an elegant waltz in front of fellow A-listers.
“They were leaning into each other, completely lost in their own moment,” a witness recalled. “It didn’t look like just a performance.”
Image credits: thehughjackman
At the time, Foster was in a relationship with who would eventually become her second husband, screenwriter Ted Griffin. The two married in October 2014 and were together for exactly 10 years, divorcing each other in October 2024.
Her separation from Griffin coincided with rumors of her being romantically involved with Jackman, which, for many netizens, served as evidence that the two actors had cheated on their respective partners with each other—dissolving both marriages in the process.
Image credits: Late Night with Seth Meyers
“I thought as you grow older you’re supposed to mature, but being a home wrecker at that age?” a former fan wrote on Sutton’s profile.
“The pleasure you must feel for taking another woman’s husband! I hope one day, you, and the many women who break families and marriages, can feel an ounce of what betrayal feels like,” another added.
Jackman’s attempts to integrate Foster into his family have reportedly hit a wall
Image credits: thehughjackman
Reports suggest that the couple is beginning to buckle under the weight of the backlash, as the vitriol surrounding their relationship spills beyond social media and into their personal lives.
Image credits: thehughjackman
According to Australian outlet Woman’s Day, Jackman’s attempts to integrate Foster into his family–including his adopted children 25-year-old Oscar, and 19-year-old Ava—have hit a wall, with insiders revealing that she’s “begging him to stop forcing the situation.”
Image credits: prhaudio
“It was Oscar’s birthday recently and Ava’s is coming up in July and Hugh couldn’t see an issue with wanting to include ‘his other half’,” the source said.
“Although she’s open to it eventually, she knows they all need a little more time,” the insider added. “It should wait until the divorce has been finalized and everything has settled down.”
Image credits: thehughjackman
While the emotional aspect of Jackman’s divorce remains unresolved, the legal side of things seems to have reached resolution. Furness reportedly received a “handsome spousal support payment.”
This didn’t stop Furness from making her feelings known and explicitly mentioning “betrayal” as a key aspect of their separation.
According to sources, this left Jackman “extremely disappointed,” as he believed they had an “understanding” to not publicly trash each other.
“Lost all respect”: Netizens made their disapproval known on social media
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