Sutton Foster is booked and busy. Since wrapping up her stint in Once Upon a Mattress last year, the Broadway star has performed concerts around the United States, with dates scheduled through November.
“I want an Angela Lansbury career that keeps going and going,” she told the Dallas Observer while promoting a recent three-night run in Texas. “I want people to see an artist that continues to grow and live and challenge herself.”
Her show — which she’s promised will keep adding tour stops — is a professional challenge, but it’s also a personal one. Why? Because it means more time away from beau Hugh Jackman, who only just got back from filming The Death of Robin Hood in Ireland.
“Being apart for an extended period of time can be tough on any couple,” an insider exclusively tells Life & Style, revealing normally-attached-at-the-hip Hugh, 56, and Sutton had “limited” communication during his movie shoot — and he was even away on Sutton’s 50th birthday. “It’s always hard dating in the public eye, but when you add their whole backstory and what they’ve put on the line as far as their reputations, the pressure rises exponentially.”
Indeed, Sutton and Hugh have been under scrutiny since rumors emerged in November that the two were dating following their respective breakups. “There’s a lot of harsh judgment about them online,” says the insider. “Now, there’s a sense they have something to prove.”
Inside Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster’s Romance After Their Respective Splits
Though Hugh and Sutton had palpable chemistry in a 2022 stage revival of The Music Man, both were married to other people at the time. However, a few months after the show closed in 2023, Hugh announced his separation from wife of 27 years Deborra-Lee Furness, 69.
As for Sutton, she split from hubby Ted Griffin, 54, this past October. “They’re each adamant there was never anything going on while either one of them was married,” says the insider. “But there’s no denying Hugh and Sutton’s romance happened very quickly.”
Adding to tensions, Hugh has not yet filed for divorce and Sutton has not finalized hers. Hugh and Deb — who allegedly doesn’t think the Sutton relationship will last — reportedly didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement, so divvying up his estimated $180 million fortune is an especially tricky task.
Still, “Hugh and Sutton are going full steam ahead,” says the insider, suggesting the friends-turned-lovers have a strong foundation built to withstand all the drama. “They’re happy and madly in love.”
