The couple say in a statement exclusively shared with PEOPLE: "We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth."
"Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives." The statement, signed “Deb and Hugh Jackman," concludes: "This is the sole statement either of us will make."Gaye Gerard/Getty, the costars fell for each other hard and fast. Deb, already an established actress, and Hugh, then an upstart actor fresh out of drama school, married less than a year later.
“Deb, she was a big star…I get picked up, and Deb is in the front seat of the car. I’ll never forget,” Hugh, 54, told PEOPLE in 2017 of their first meeting. “She took off her seatbelt and she turned around and put out her hand and took off her sunglasses and said, ‘Hi, I’m Deborra-lee Furness, nice to meet you.’ I remember thinking, ‘I like this girl.’”