“Hugh has been worried for months.”

Ever since Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster finally came clean about their romance, the couple has copped a flurry of backlash.

Once considered the nicest guy in Hollywood, it’s Hugh whose reputation has taken the hardest hit, going from heart-throb to “heartless” overnight.

Now, New Idea can reveal that despite being “deeply in love”, Hugh, 56, and Sutton, 50, are finding the intense public scrutiny surrounding their relationship increasingly difficult to navigate – and it’s taking its toll!
The last time they were seen together in public was on May 17. (Credit: The Image Direct)
Sources tell us the couple has decided to essentially go back into hiding and are hunkering down at their swanky penthouse apartment whenever they’re in New York.

In fact, at the time of publication, the couple hadn’t been seen out in public together for 88 days. The last time they were photographed out and about was on May 17, walking hand-in-hand around Manhattan.

Two months later, Hugh snuck in to watch one of Sutton’s rehearsals ahead of her July 18 concert in Massachusetts. A backstage photo of the couple was later shared on a fan’s Instagram account.
The couple posed backstage at Sutton’s concert. (Credit: Instagram)
“For now, they’re back undercover and desperately trying to figure out a way forward that’s comfortable for them both,” reveals our source, adding it’s Sutton who is re-evaluating how they conduct their relationship in public.

“She’s insisting they run their private life completely away from the cameras, but that’s put huge restrictions on their romance, and Hugh doesn’t blame her.”

According to the insider, Hugh is doing everything he can to stay low profile and to keep Sutton away from the overwhelming media focus.

“Hugh has been worried about her for months, but he is so smitten and wants to eventually marry her – right now, he just wants to make sure Sutton feels protected and safe,” adds the source.
Hugh and Sutton have agreed to lie low until the dust settles. (Credit: Getty)
Keeping their romance off the grid is by no means foreign for the couple. After all, they did manage to dodge speculation on their relationship for more than a year after Hugh and ex-wife Deborra-lee Furness confirmed their separation in September 2023.

News of Sutton’s divorce from her husband, Ted Griffin, broke in October 2024.

It wasn’t until Hugh and Sutton were spotted canoodling in a car park in LA back in January that they became public enemy number one. Many felt they were rubbing their romance in Deb’s face.

“Hugh refuses to give up on this romance and will do whatever it takes to make it work,” our source adds.