Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster's alleged romance might have begun with a simple pre-show ritual

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hugh Jackman and rumored girlfriend Sutton Foster initially became acquainted while working together on the Broadway production of 'The Music Man', which played from December 2021 to January 2023.

The alleged affair between Jackman and Foster has left those outside the Broadway industry wondering when their professional relationship became more intimate with many claiming that their innocent pre-show rituals might have added fuel to the fire.

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster had pre-show ritual dubbed 'carpet chat'

While the 56-year-old 'Wolverine' actor and the 49-year-old Broadway star collaborated on the Broadway revival of 'The Music Man', they developed a pre-show ritual called "carpet chat".

Speaking on 'Live With Kelly and Ryan' in July 2022, Foster gushed about Jackman by saying, "We hang out in my dressing room before every show and just catch up. Somehow we ended up sitting … maybe because my dressing room’s a mess, we sit on the carpet."

“We call it carpet chat,” she shared. 

The intimate encounters, which they described as a "wonderful thing," strengthened their bond, per SheKnows.

Foster continued, "We’ve become really good friends, and we just talk and catch up on our day. That’s been one of the best parts of the whole thing, that I’ve made this wonderful new friend."

According to an In Touch Weekly story from December 2023, the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' actor was "romancing" with his Broadway co-star after separating from his wife, and their relationship was "an open secret on Broadway."

A source revealed at the time, "[Jackman] has been besotted with Sutton from the moment he met her. He followed her around like a puppy!"

Foster was still married to Ted Griffin at the time, her spouse of 10 years, whom she married in 2014.

The Broadway production, which ran from December 2021 to January 2023, starred Jackman as Professor Harold Hill and Foster as his amorous muse Marian Paroo.

Jackman and his wife of 27 years, Deborra-Lee Furness, announced their divorce in September 2023. Foster has since filed for divorce from Griffin and sold her New York house in May for $2 million, per Realtor.com.

Hugh Jackman's rumored girlfriend Sutton Foster previously raved over her Broadway co-star

Sutton Foster gushed about the chance to collaborate with Hugh Jackman on the Broadway revival of 'The Music Man' two years before igniting romance rumors with the 'Deadpool & Wolverine' star.

In a resurfaced 2022 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' interview, Foster described working with Jackman star as "a dream come true."

"The show is so joyful, and I'm having the time of my life playing opposite this guy,' Foster exclaimed, to which Jackman said, "You had to say that, but thank you."

"I did! But it's like — it's a dream come true. Truly," exclaimed Foster and then grinned at her co-star. Meanwhile, per Daily Mail, Jackman referred to Foster as a "dream" in another re-discovered 2022 interview.

After praising "this cast in particular" for their dedication, the 'Logan' star gushed softly that "Sutton Foster is just a dream" in a conversation with the New York Theatre Guide.

Foster praised Jackman in a Vogue interview that year when they were asked about their working relationship. She told the magazine, "He has an impeccable reputation of being the hardest working man, incredibly kind, and generous—and all of that is true."

Foster added, "And he's now become one of my best friends, which was a surprise, because you usually go into these things thinking, 'Well, I hope we get along.' But we just spent Memorial Day with our families. It's really fun to meet new friends after 40."

Furness allegedly had "suspicions" about her husband and his co-star, but neither Jackman nor Foster have responded to the claims of an affair.