Those of you who read us regularly know that I love Hugh Jackman. I just think he’s a genuinely nice guy and super hot to boot. My admiration of Hugh crept up on me. While I’ve had crushes on other celebrities like Matt Damon and Johnny Depp forever, Hugh earned my fangirl status from his actions and interviews. Anyway here’s another reason to love Hugh. In a new interview with Australian newspaper The Herald Sun, the 42 year-old actor opens up about how he and his wife of 15 years, Deborra-Lee Furness, struggled with infertility before deciding to adopt. They are now parents to son Oscar, 11, and daughter Ava, six. Hugh describes it as very difficult to get to the point of adopting, but ultimately rewarding. He also sees the adoption of his two children as fated. It’s touching the way he explains it.
The 42-year-old star is married to wife Deborra-Lee Furness and they have two adopted children – Oscar, 11, and Ava, six.
He spoke to Australia’s Herald Sun about the moment they discovered they weren’t able to have children naturally.
He said: ‘It was painful. It’s not easy. You put a lot of time and effort into it, so it’s emotional.
‘I think any parent can relate – trying to have children is wonderful and when you feel as though that’s not going to happen, there’s a certain anxiety that goes with it.’
He added: ‘We thought we’d have a kid or two biologically and then adopt. But when we decided we’d had enough of IVF, we went ahead with adoption.’
However the couple soon moved on with their plans to become parents.
Jackman said: ‘From the moment we started the adoption process, all the anxiety went away. I don’t think of them as adopted – they’re our children.
‘Deb and I are believers in I suppose you could call it destiny. We feel things happened the way they are meant to. Obviously, biologically wasn’t the way we were meant to have children.
‘Now, as we go through life together, sure there are challenges, but everyone’s in the right place with the right people. It sounds airy-fairy, but it’s something we feel very deeply.’
[From The Daily Mail]
That’s so nice! Hugh and Deborra have been open about this issue, and are involved in several adoption charities. I found this moving interview with Deborra from 2004, before their second child was adopted. She said she’d had two miscarriages before they decided to adopt Oscar. Back when Oscar’s mother was pregnant and Deborra and Hugh were meeting with her about adopting the baby, Deborra thinks she was given a sign that he was meant to be their son. She described how she was in an airplane and saw a lightning storm over Iowa, where his birth mother is from. Here’s that part:
“And I kept saying to Hugh when we were in discussions early on. I said I havn’t got a message yet, I’m waiting for a message. And I was on a flight from Los Angeles to Toronto where Hugh was shooting X-Men 1, I think it was, and I was sitting on this flight and I looked out the window and there was this incredible electric storm outside the window and it was so beautiful, I was just staring at it and I said to the guy sitting next to me, “Wow, look at that, it’s amazing, where are we, and he said I think we’re somewhere over Iowa,” And I, I knew that that was the birth mother I had been speaking to and I grabbed the stewardess and I said do you know where we are and she said oh come up here and took me up to the pilot’s cabin it was before September 11, and went in there and I said where are we? And he said, see down there, there’s Cedar Rapids, and tears started to roll down my face and I knew that was my message. And I loved it, it was like it wasn’t a subtle message, it was like, it’s me already, it’s like this huge electrical storm.”
[From ABC.net.au]
I usually don’t believe in signs and messages. When people tell stories like this I find it fascinating though. I truly believe that they thought they received a sign, and that it was a sign in that way, since signs are what we make of them. (Hopefully that makes sense and doesn’t sound condescending, although it probably does.)
Hugh and Deborra sound like they’re on the exact same page when it comes to their family, and that’s very refreshing to hear, inside or outside of Hollywood.
Update: Here’s a link to a bunch of new gratuitous shirtless pictures of Hugh Jackman.
Most of these photos are from July and August of this year, except for the one where they’re in coats, that’s from October. Credit: Fame
Good for them, There are so many children who are unwanted who need homes. I think more people should use adoption more often.
I just got my Gaydar back from the repair shop and this article blew it up…
damn…
I love Hugh. That is all.
I hate when people rip on his wife because he obviously adores her. I love him. He seems so nice. I know people think he’s gay, but I just don’t get that vibe. I think because he is all around wonderful that’s the only rumor left to be made!
As an adopted person my heart goes “awwwwwwww” at Debbora’s story.
I was adopted at a time when looks still mattered. I am dutch but was born with jet black hair so I went to my dark haired adoptive parents. Sometimes it blows my mind to think if I had been born blonde I would have had an entirely different life!
Love him so much. They are adorable.
And @ Strawberrygirl: I cosign.
The second half of that story was the adoption agent asking if they cared about race or health issues and they said absolutely not- a child is a child- and were horrified that a lot of black and minority children go unadopted.
Hugh’s got a good head on his shoulders b/c his dad basically raised them as a single dad when his parents divorced and mom moved out. His dad had a good job with PWC in Sydney and like four kids to raise and no time to himself.
I could cry, this is so sweet.
@ Roma: That is amazing!
The difference hair colour/looks could have made in your life.
Hope your family is great and everything you needed growing up.
@bananapanda: I work at PWC (South Africa)and ‘I hear’ that depending on drive/ambition and qualifications, you can make good money there…or so I hear. I’m still waiting for my ship to come in 🙂
Here’s what I think.
At times he’s as camp as a row of pink tents, but he seems like a very happily married heterosexual male.
The End.
As an adoptive parent I feel exactly the same way. Our son was meant for us and us, him. The red thread/ string theory.
BTW CB, the Jonah Hill NY mag interview yesterday did the same thing to me that HJ’s done to you. Hook, line, and sinker.
Hugh is one of the nicest (and hottest) A-list actors. No, I don’t believe he’s gay. Maybe it’s just mindblowing to people that a guy this hot married a woman who doesn’t have supermodel looks and has a) remained faithful to her and b) didn’t leave her despite her inability to give him biological children. As horrible as it is, a lot of men with the options Hugh has would have left. They are lucky to have each other.
I think his wife is really quite beautiful. Lovely family!
so sweet!
Deb is a really sexy woman, she has a lovely accent and speaking voice. People seem to really like her too, Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts are good friends with her. People often say the same about Bruce Springsteen’s wife, that she isn’t ‘good’ enough for him (she is almost 60 now, she was gorgeous when she was young), but i have seen her in interviews and you can see what Bruce sees in her. I don’t think they should be applauded for not dumping their wives for younger models, but it is nice to see a genuine love story amidst all the bullshit
i just read that interview where she said she had an bad accident in her 20’s and she had to have skin grafts on her face etc 🙁
I just think that they are absolutely perfect and I can’t love the two of them more for adopting those two kids.
I have never gotten the “gay” vibe from Hugh. He is just a mature man who went with his heart when he married. Good for them!!! I hope they have a long and happy life together!
I just adore them! The whole dang family. They’re lovely and charming and adorable.
Hubs and I are starting to look into adoption so our youngest can have a brother. (No more pregnancies for me, or I will likely die. Otherwise, he’d have a little brother by now.)
Such a lovely and refreshing story. They both sound so grounded and on the right side of the tracks. Love them both and wish them the best.
Whether he is gay or not (and I believe NOT), Deborra is a very lucky woman to have such a devoted man in her life. The children are doubly blessed to have such loving, devoted parents.
We adopted our youngest child – she’ll be two in just a few weeks! We also have two bio kids and our baby totally fits our family. She’s just this awesome, silly little girl and we love her more than anything. I, too, feel that we got exactly the little person we were supposed to get and I think many people feel the same way.
Well, I think Jackman is gay — that does not make me a bad person, that does not mean I think he’s a bad person. I don’t think that because his wife is considerably older than him or because she doesn’t have the typical Hollywood figure/looks (and he’s a hunk), I have that impression because of their body language: they seem (to me, people…you don’t have to agree with that) to be great friends who love each other. But only that: best friends. I saw a lot more chemistry between him and his former business partner John Palermo (or his personal trainers when he’s at the beach).
I wish we lived in a society where men like him (in case I’m right and he’s gay) would be able to come out of the closet and still get to play action heroes and sex symbols, because knowing for sure one’s sexual orientation shouldn’t interfere with the fictional roles they play on screen. In fact, it shouldn’t matter anyway (unless it’s a crime, I don’t see why people’s sex lives could possibly be our business).
By the way, love the fact they chose to adopt their children.
Had no idea Hugh Jackman’s kids were adopted!
Love them. I was on the he’s gay boat at one time but not anymore. I just think he’s a nice grounded man at that is rare in Hollywood.
I want to adopt too. Every child deserves a family.
IVF is brutal and stressful on a marriage. They made it through and look at how well it turned out.
Adorable family, but it makes me a little sad knowing this perfect specimen won’t reproduce.
I love this thread, all positive comments.
Hugh is adorable. If anyone missed to see a little aussie film called ‘Paperback Hero’ I recommend it, he’s heart-swooning gorgeous in it.
@Roma: I worked for many years in foster care and adoption, and the superficial characteristics the agencies used back then in matching adoptive children to adoptive parents used to blow me away. The biggest concern seemed to be if the child “fit in” with the rest of the family, as if nobody was supposed to know the child was adopted.
Oscar is gorgeous. He’s going to have girls fighting over him when he gets bigger.
I used to wonder about him, but not so much anymore. They seem like a very happy, down to earth family. Glad that after their struggles, they found their family.
They seem like a very sweet, lovely family. I wish them nothing but the best.
Hugh seems like a genuinely lovely man, gorgeous inside and out.
Personally, I’ve never thought he was gay. I think those rumors started because he’s comfortable in his own skin, likes show tunes and he’s true to his wife — who’s considered defective by f*cked up Hollywood standards, because she’s older and doesn’t look like a Barbie doll — when most celebrities cheat with whatever young starlet catches their eye.
It’s wonderful that Hugh and Deborra and Oscar and Ava all found each other.
@ Eve and all the others who believe he’s gay…would you think the same if Deborra were a man, older than his sexy wife and with fertility issues? Would you? Bah.
@JaneWonderfalls: I’m a case worker in the foster care system, and I help children find their families. Using words like unwanted children can be really hurtful to adoptees. All of my kids were wanted. Their parents just weren’t in a position to take care of them.
I’m sure there are people out there who genuinely don’t want their children, but I’ve yet to meet them. Even with private adoptions, the women I know who made the decision to make an adoption plan for their child loved their children and wanted them.
I’m sorry, it’s just a huge pet peeve for me when people say things like that, and I know that it’s mostly because people don’t realize how hurtful it can be.
True or false, I’m tired of the ‘Hugh’s gay’ speculation, too. The details of his marriage are none of our business (if it IS ‘just to have kids’). Hugh is a walking smile and REALLY loves his family. That’s good enough for me.
Love Hugh. I always feel guilty watching movies he’s starring in with my husband.
I completely and utterly agree with Eve #22.
Either way whether he is gay or straight or an alien, its none of my business (and I don’t really care), and good for them on choosing to adopt.
@ahoyhoy – that is the best thing I’ve ever heard. Everyone should think like you.
I wish she worked hard at making herself look more attractive. Her hair always looks messy. she never dreeses nice. I agress she sounds like a loving mother and a perfect wife for hugh. But if I was married to one of the hottest men in Hollywood, I’d work harder at keeping myself looking attractive even if my husband like way I looked
As an adopted child, this is really sweet. I also highly advocate the adoption of older children, since I was three and a half when my parents adopted me, and the orphange was surprised my dad didn’t want to adopt a “cute” newborn.
Of course, the adoption process was complicated, since the USSR just broke up and NO ONE from America adopted kids from the Ukraine at that time.
And JC people. What is with everyone always thinking everyone in Hollywood is secretly gay? I mean seriously. It gets tiring of reading posts, “Oh he’s gay. She’s just bearding for him.” Why are you people so fascinated with a person’s sexual orientation?
@ Layla:
Don’t really get the point you’re trying to make. Are you upset I think he’s gay and that’s a negative thing (being gay) to you? It sure isn’t to me. When I say I think he is gay I meant nothing more, I don’t imply anything else (other than the fact he’s in the closet) by that. In fact, I wish everybody could be whoever they wanted to be without having to play roles in real life. And most actors — who are gay — HAVE TO do that, or they wouldn’t be hired (because there are people who won’t “buy” him as an action hero if they know for sure he’s gay).
Also, I made clear that I didn’t think he was gay because of his wife’s age or looks. But in case you misread it, here it is again:
I don’t think that because his wife is considerably older than him or because she doesn’t have the typical Hollywood figure/looks (and he’s a hunk), I have that impression because of their body language: they seem (to me, people…you don’t have to agree with that) to be great friends who love each other. But only that: best friends.
@ ahoyhoy “Hugh is a walking smile and REALLY loves his family. That’s good enough for me.”
Nicely said.
The way he looks at his wife and the way they greet each other (see photos of them on the street and Hugh in sunnies) make a mockery of the best friend only argument. Yup she’s his best friend allright, but also his wife and his lover. And I think they are a fab family…Hugh Jackman is a lovely man and a fine man. AND he gave an excellent interview on ROVE last night where he talked about the gay rumours and said he’d have no problem being gay if he was, but he isn’t. And he admitted he’s always loved to dance and sing etc and that he got stick for it when he was young. He came across as a lovely secure bloke and I think it takes away from his honesty and integrity to continue to insist he’s hiding something.
These people are horrible. They promised the birth mother of their child an open adoption, and when they reneged on that promise she committed suicide.
Wonderful people? I think not. Greedy, disgusting, and selfish is more like it. I have lost all respect for Hugh and his wife. To make a promise to a woman only to go back on that promise once your purposes have been served reeks. I feel sorry for those kids.
I’m glad you told us that, Lillie. We never hear that side of the story. Adoptive parents are “so wonderful” and their adoptees are “so grateful” but no one talks about all the lies that are promised so that people with $30-50,000 dollars can buy a kid from someone who maybe only needed a little bit of help to get on her feet so she could parent her own child. How loving can a person be if they lie so that they can take a child away from his mother? Everything else pales in comparison.
I will never be able to look at him the same way again.
From 43 comments come 2 people with the truth,”Lillie” and “Momof3girls”,how cruel and nasty not to allow the true mother of Oscar to visit his mother.When that boy reaches adulthood you will definitely be in the news again only this time under “Adoptee hates adopters for killing his real mother”.