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For Sutton Foster, falling in love with one of the world’s biggest stars was not on her bingo card.
Having finally found the courage to walk out on her second marriage, the actress was determined to stay focused on her daughter and her career when her close friend and Broadway buddy Hugh Jackman started hanging around, cheering her up.
Fast-forward many months and Sutton, 49, has found herself in one of Hollywood’s most high-profile relationships, and according to a close pal, all the attention and scrutiny may be proving to be too much for the intensely private star.
“Hugh and Sutton are completely in love and relieved they don’t have to hide it anymore, but unfortunately for Sutton, it’s come with a whole host of other problems,” our source tells Woman’s Day.
“And Hugh being on the other side of the world filming certainly isn’t helping either. The pressure is starting to get to her these days.”
MEDDLING DEB
After spending Christmas apart, the 56-year-old Wolverine star only had a few weeks with Sutton in New York before flying out to Northern Ireland to film his new film, The Death Of Robin Hood.
Hugh’s departure left Sutton alone to deal with the fallout of a damning report claiming his 69-year-old ex-wife, Deborra-lee Furness, had told pals his romance with Sutton “will fizzle out before long”, citing his “midlife crisis” as the reasons why he’s “infatuated”.
“He’s needy and he’ll cry on Sutton’s shoulder and try to help her solve her problems, but he won’t give her space – and that’s just the beginning of why it won’t work out in [Deb’s] opinion,” the source told RadarOnline.
Friends say Sutton is determined to not let his bitter ex get to her, but this latest comment has “absolutely rattled her cage”. “Sutton’s not used to this level of attention,” the friend tells Woman’s Day.
“She’s had her time on the red carpet and at award shows, but Hugh’s an international household name.
“It’s overwhelming at the best of times to have paps on her tail all the time, but when she hears things like this – that she’s nothing more than a midlife crisis sedative – it’s hard to not get upset.”
The pal adds that the reports have infuriated Hugh too, “especially as he’s being painted as ‘needy’, but more than that it’s put their romance through its first test – and things are not looking good.”
SAFETY FEARS
Another consequence of Sutton’s headline-grabbing romance is the amount of hate she’s getting from Deb’s fans, with the pal adding that she’s “never felt this kind of hatred and vitriol”, so much so that she’s beginning to fear for her seven-year-old daughter Emily’s safety.
“The last thing she needs is to grow up in some kind of A-list security cocoon. Sutton is starting to wonder if she’s bitten off more than she can chew.”
