Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster made a rare public appearance at a university last week amid their busy theater and acting schedules.
The Younger star posted on her Instagram on Tuesday, ‘Hugh and I had a great time working with the talented students at Ball State University last week! #chirpchirp.’
Sutton, 50, is an instructor in the musical theatre department for the fall semester at Ball State, located in Muncie, Indiana.
According to social media posts shared by fans, Hugh, 56, appeared to make multiple appearances at the university over the last few weeks.
One fan account shared a photo of The Greatest Showman actor placing his hand over his girlfriend’s hand. The fan noted that the pair ‘joined a Q&A, taught masterclasses, watched Songs For A New World, and attended the designer run of Romeo & Juliet. A day to remember with the design team.’
But, according to body language expert Judi James, who spoke exclusively with the Daily Mail about their recent public outing, not everything is smooth sailing for the duo, as Hugh is ‘longing for more public clarity’ when it comes to their relationship status as a couple.
Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman appeared at Ball State University in Indiana together as seen in a video recap of their visit shared by the Younger star
Sutton captioned the video, ‘Hugh and I had a great time working with the talented students at Ball State University last week! #chirpchirp’
Body language expert, Judi James, told the DailyMail that there are signs that Hugh is ‘longing for more public clarity’ when it comes to their relationship status as a couple
After analyzing Sutton’s recap of their time together at Bell State, Judi suggested they look more ‘like a professional couple,’ and that their body language ‘veers clear of any romantic signals’ apart from just one.
‘As they pose in the group with the students, Hugh tilts his head towards Sutton’s. It suggests a literal nod to their status as a couple, but it looks very much like his own individual upgrade ritual, which hints at a possible desire for closeness and togetherness.
‘It appears spontaneous from him, but it’s not reciprocated by her, suggesting he’s longing for more public clarity when it comes to their status as a couple.’
Hugh’s ‘desire’ for public closeness comes as the star has found himself at the center of public scrutiny since he and his ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness revealed they were separating in September 2023.
In May 2025, Deborra-Lee, 69, filed for divorce in New York after she and Hugh decided to terminate their 27-year marriage.
About a month after the petition was filed, it was quickly finalized. Although details of the settlement remain private, a source told the Daily Mail at the time that the Australian film producer was ‘pleased,’ as it reportedly includes ‘a handsome spousal support payment.’
Meanwhile, Sutton and her ex Ted Griffin, 54, are going through their own divorce. The Broadway star filed for divorce in October 2024. The last filing was made earlier this year, with the divorce not yet finalized.
Sutton and Hugh have had very few public outings as a couple over the last few months, after going public with their relationship in January.
The body language expert insisted Hugh and Sutton look more like a ‘professional couple’ in the video and that their body language ‘veers clear of any romantic signals’
Judi shared, ‘As they pose in the group with the students, Hugh tilts his head towards Sutton’s. It suggests a literal nod to their status as a couple, but it looks very much like his own individual upgrade ritual that hints at a possible desire for closeness and togetherness’
Judi continued, ‘Like-bodied movement suggests like-minded thinking and it’s clear that they share intense passion for the coaching they are doing here and for the students whose lives they are enhancing’
But they appear to be going ‘strong’ despite not being publicly photographed often. They were seen arriving at New York’s LaGuardia Airport on September 18, but before that, they had not been photographed together since May, when they were spotted walking around the city.
‘The pair show very strong bonds here, but those bonds tend to be all about professional mirroring. As they coach the students, it’s clear that their energies, enthusiasm and their way of expressing themselves match.
‘Like-bodied movement suggests like-minded thinking and it’s clear that they share intense passion for the coaching they are doing here and for the students whose lives they are enhancing,’ Judi told the Daily Mail.
According to Judi, who acknowledged Hugh’s reputation as a ‘nice guy,’ this display with Sutton may have more to do with his past relationship than his current one. She believes he and Sutton have both decided to treat their relationship with their exes with ‘respect and dignity,’ meaning this ‘non-tactile appearance’ at Ball State ‘could be deliberate.’
‘They are probably also aware that over-egged romantic signals could upstage the work they are doing here and prevent them from immersing themselves as coaches,’ she continued. ‘Of course, it’s possible that a “tread softly” approach can cause problems if one is keen to go totally public and the other prefers to wait.
‘But these two seem so “twinned” here in terms of drive and like-minded thinking that it would be surprising if they didn’t have strong enough bonds to weather anything.’
Sutton appeared to skip Hugh’s event on September 27 when he hosted the annual Global Citizen Festival in Central Park – a cause he’s been the face of for years and a big supporter as a Global Citizen ambassador.
Hugh hosted the Global Citizen Festival on September 27 in New York City. Girlfriend Sutton was nowhere to be seen
Sutton has also appeared solo at recent events with Hugh not by her side (pictured at the Drama League Awards on May 16, 2025)
‘Sutton is still nervous about taking that big step into Hugh’s world,’ a source told New Idea this week.
The couple have also dodged invites to the Oscars, the Met Gala, and the Tony Awards, the publication claims.
But, that could all change soon, with the Australian actor reportedly hoping to have his girlfriend by his side at the premiere of his new movie, Song Sung Blue, at the AFI Fest in Hollywood on October 26.
‘It’s a big moment for him, and he wants to share it with the woman he loves,’ the source claimed.
Meanwhile, it is unknown at this time if Jackman will be showing up to support Foster at her upcoming holiday show in New York City. She returns to Cafe Carlyle, starting at the end of November, to perform ‘Christmas at The Carlyle.’
