For two decades Hugh Jackman’s sexuality has come under question, with the rumour mill going into overdrive when he split from his wife last year. 

This week, his alleged new romance was revealed, with sources saying that Jackman is now dating Broadway legend Sutton Foster, 49, and they have been ‘spending all of their free time together’. 

Despite repeatedly stating that is heterosexual, baseless rumours that he is gay have swirled for years, with Jackman fuelling the whispers himself by poking fun at the speculation. 

He has also addressed the origin of the claims, believing they date back to a role he played in 2003. 

At the time, Jackman, 56, was was happily married to Deborra-Lee Furness, 68, but was playing openly gay singer-songwriter Peter Allen in The Boy from Oz on Broadway.

Speaking about taking on the role at the time, he mused: ‘Some people said, “It’s brave of you to play a gay man.” And I think that’s very dated. Don’t you?’ 

During the production he had to kiss male co-star Jarrod Emick on stage, and reflecting on the moment he thinks sparked the rumours, Jackman shared: ‘I was literally just locking lips… I started to laugh so hard.

‘So I stay kissing him, because I thought, “I’m just going to laugh. I’m going to stay here until it subsides,” and it never subsided and the whole audience could see my body shaking, so they started.’

He added during the interview in 2018: ‘Some dudes do get upset, some dudes say, “Don’t say I’m gay,” [but] I am good.’

When The Boy from Oz finished its tenure on Broadway and began showing in Australia in 2006, Jackman was no longer required to kiss his on-stage lover.

Addressing the decision to remove the kiss, his new co-star Murray Bartlett explained: ‘We just wanted to keep it very simple and very pure.’

The same-sex kiss was not part of the original musical when it first launched Down Under in 1998, and was only added to the script when the production began on Broadway in 2003. 

Jackman has been revered by the gay community and became an instant pin-up when pictures emerged of him enjoying shirtless runs on the beach with his handsome personal trainer. 

The vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights most recently addressed his sexuality during his one man show, The Man. The Music. The Show in 2019.

Addressing the crowd at London’s O2 Arena, Jackman, 56, winked and said: ‘I know what you’re all thinking… is he? Isn’t he… [pauses for effect]… Australian?’

While he hasn’t been fazed by the rumours, Jackman confessed he worried about how it would affect his wife.

Speaking on 60 Minutes, he shared: ‘It’s, to me, not the most interesting thing about a person, anyway. I do get frustrated for Deb, cause I see Deb go, “Ah, this is just crazy!”‘ 

Furness addressed the rumours on Anh’s Brush with Fame, rolling her eyes and exclaiming: ‘I see these magazines and they’re so mean-spirited… I hope people realise it’s all made up.

She added: ‘[Hugh’s] been gay for so many years, I was gay too when I did [the 1988 film] Shame. They were shocked when I got married.

‘It’s just wrong. It’s like someone saying to Elton John, “Oh he’s straight.” I’m sure he’d be p**sed!

‘And so what! What are we discussing here… Is he a vegetarian… Is he gay?’

During another chat on the Not an Overnight Success podcast, Deborra-Lee said: ‘I mean, hello guys – if he was gay, he could be gay!

‘He didn’t have to hide in the closet anymore, and he’d be dating Brad Pitt, or whatever. Not that Brad’s gay, but you know what I’m saying!’

She continued: ‘It’s so silly, and then people perpetuate silly things and it’s boring.’

The couple met on the set of Australian TV show Correlli in 1995. They tied the knot just 11 months later and adopted two children, son, Oscar, 23, and daughter, Ava, 19, in 2005.

Last year, they revealed they had separated after 27 years of marriage – sparking a fresh wave of rumours about Hugh’s sexuality.

Now he’s linked to his Broadway co-star Foster and sources told Page Six the pair are keeping their relationship private amid ongoing rumours.

‘They spend all of their free time together,’ an insider claimed. ‘They are a regular couple, they are just in private.’

This report comes just a couple days after Foster filed for divorce from her husband, Ocean’s Eleven screenwriter Ted Griffin, after 10 years of marriage. 

Foster and Griffin share one child, seven-year-old daughter Emily, whom they adopted in 2017. 

Since their split and prior to her divorce filing, she and Jackman have reportedly been spending more time together in private and have been ‘inseparable,’ the insider claimed.

The source added that the pair keep a low profile and ‘sneak around.’

Speculation about the couple’s relationship first began in Broadway circles while Foster was starring in The Music Man alongside Jackman. 

For over a year, they worked together in the Broadway show, which ran from December 2021 to January 2023. 

A number of sources told Page Six that Foster and Jackman ‘have fallen in love.’

‘They are 100 percent together and are in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together,’ an insider previously told the publication. 

The pair are reportedly going strong, but have been keeping the relationship out of the public eye, according to sources. 

A source claimed: ‘They are still together. They go out of their way to hide it, but it’s common knowledge.’ 

Recently, a 2022 interview resurfaced, showing Jackman calling Foster a ‘dream.’ 

Back then, he raved about having the opportunity to work with Foster on the Broadway revival of The Music Man. 

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve done a book musical — actually, 18 years, since The Boy From Oz,’ he told New York Theatre Guide two years ago. 

‘I’ve been lucky enough to do films, and I’ve done some plays, but there’s nothing like doing a musical on Broadway.’ 

He went on to specifically applaud ‘this cast in particular’ for their hard work before sweetly gushing: ‘Sutton Foster is just a dream.’