Hugh Jackman has shared the heartache of his wife’s struggles with multiple miscarriages.
The 44-year-old actor disclosed that his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, who is now 57, faced challenges through IVF and experienced miscarriages in their efforts to have biological children.
Although they had always planned to adopt eventually, he mentioned that the timing of their plans changed due to their difficulties in conceiving naturally.
Hugh, who shares a son Oscar, 12, and a daughter Ava, 7 with Deborra, shared with Katie Couric on her talk show: ‘Until you experience it, you don’t realize how rarely it’s discussed.
‘Just to clarify, Deb and I have always intended to adopt. That was part of our plan from the beginning. We were unsure when in the timeline that would occur, but biologically, we tried and faced difficulties; it was a challenging period.
‘We went through IVF, and Deb experienced a few miscarriages. I’ll never forget how impactful those experiences were. Miscarriages occur in one out of three pregnancies, yet it remains a topic rarely addressed. It feels almost like a secret, so I hope Deb is okay with me mentioning it now.
‘Talking about it is important. It happens more frequently than people realize, and it is challenging. There’s a process of grieving involved. The moment Oscar was born, all the pain just faded away.’
While Hugh and Deborra-Lee were overjoyed to welcome a child of their own, the Les Miserables star confessed that all of his feelings intensified when he became a parent.
He noted: ‘Parents understand that you can’t be ready for that moment. Nothing prepares you… It’s impossible to describe how amazing it is and that flood of emotions you experience, how it enlarges your heart, and how it brings about frustration, anger, and the sense of being more alive than ever as a parent.’
Hugh and Deborra-Lee tied the knot in 1996 after crossing paths on the set of an Australian television series.
by Lorelle Heath
