The announcement that Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness were getting divorced after 27 years of marriage was the sort of news that shocked fans. The couple had one of those relationships that, while it was mostly out of the limelight, seemed to be going very well. As celebrity divorces go, this one seems to be less acrimonious than some, but according to one report that may be because of a plan that would involve Jackman parting with a significant amount of money in exchange for a non-disclosure agreement.
The report comes from the National Enquirer (via RadarOnline) so it should all be taken with a significant grain of salt, but a source tells them that Jackman could be willing to pay a significant sum for what is being called an “ironclad” NDA. The idea is that Furness would be prevented from ever speaking about her life with Jackman in exchange for the cash.
The source claims Jackman “has a lot of secrets” and doesn’t want any of them to reach the public. This certainly could be true, though Jackman may be getting ready to reveal any personal details himself, as Jackman's reportedly writing a “bombshell” book that will delve into his personal life, including his relationship with his soon-to-be ex-wife.
It certainly wouldn’t be that shocking if there were things about Jackman’s life that the actor would not want to be made public. And such things don’t even need to be particularly salacious for the actor to not want to keep them private. It could also simply be a case of not wanting those things to get out before Jackman’s book is released. Certainly, the book will be more successful if the revelations are new.
Jackman and Furness are reportedly worth almost $300 million, so they’ve amassed a significant fortune that will need to be divided. All indications are that the two are separating amicably and that this process will be relatively simple, but we’ve seen instances, as in the divorce of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, where the plans for a single asset can completely halt the process.
But most other reports, though they also tend to come from anonymous sources, are that Jackman and Furness are simply seeing their lives move in different directions so being married no longer makes sense. It sounds like maybe that's actually been happening for some time, and they have simply decided to go their separate ways. There's little indication of any animosity between them.
Non-disclosure agreements are far from unusual when dealing with high-profile divorces, so it won’t be that shocking if we learn that Deborra-Lee Furness and Hugh Jackman are both bound by them when this is all said and done. And of course, if that happens we'll never know exactly what was agreed to.
