A theory on why Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness chose 2023 to split.

When Hugh Jackman announced he and his wife Deborra-lee Furness had decided to divorce earlier last weekend, the entire world – but more specifically, Australians everywhere – mourned. 

There were many reasons: they are attractive, Australian, have a rags-to-riches story we all adore, and they worshipped each other – publicly, loudly.

It was difficult not to love the duo; not to root for them, or to look to them as one of Hollywood's last golden couples.

Watch: a look back on Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness' relationship. Post continues below. 

To reveal their split, Jackman released a statement via PEOPLE which read, "We have been blessed to share almost three 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." 

But now, just days after the shock announcement, a new theory about why exactly Jackman and Furness split is doing the rounds.

Hugh and Deborra-lee with their children, Ava and Oscar. Image: Instagram @hughjackmanofficial.

Cooper Lawrence, a broadcaster based in the US, appeared on the breakfast show Sunrise where she argued that the pair waited until their kids – son Oscar and daughter Ava – were older to avoid a messy custody battle.

"Oscar's 23, and Ava is 18. So I think they were waiting until the kids were old enough that they can have an amicable split and not worry about child custody or how much everybody's going to pay each other every month," Lawrence told hosts Matt Shirvington and Natalie Barr.

"When you split up the kids, and they're young, that's the stuff that usually messes up a divorce. They don't have to worry about that because the kids are older. So now they can just split their multi-millions and split all their properties," she continued before adding that the pair had already begun dividing their assets at least nine months ago.

Image: Instagram @thehughjackman.

This includes their "dream" property in New York City. Furness and Jackman reportedly sold off the $54.2 million triplex apartment for a smaller place in Chelsea.

"For a while, in the Broadway scene, there was a rumour that there might be something going on in that marriage that people were like, 'Hmm, this is kind of odd.'" Cooper continued.

"As soon as they sold their three-floor apartment – their giant apartment that the kids grew up in – and they downsized... and then shipped a bunch of furniture home to Sydney, it was like, 'Hmm, what's really going on here?'"

Days after Jackman and Furness announced their split after 27 years of marriage the Wolverine actor had a brief exchange with paparazzi on Sunday during which he said he was struggling with the split.

"It's a difficult time," he said, declining to comment any further. 

Feature Image: Getty/Mamamia.