Hugh Jackman has stepped out hand in hand with fellow actor Sutton Foster, apparently confirming their romance for the first time.

Jackman, 56, and his former Music Man costar were snapped arriving for dinner in Santa Monica, California, on Monday (US time).

The photos, published by People magazine, are the first of the couple since rumours of their relationship emerged in October last year.

According to the magazine, just days earlier, Jackman was in the audience at one of the final performances of Foster’s Once Upon a Mattress at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre.

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster Step Out Hand-in-Hand for Dinner Date in L.A. (Exclusive) https://t.co/Cc4Olnhc0g

— People (@people) January 7, 2025

The twin outings follow Jackman’s split from his wife of 27 years, Deborra-Lee Furness, in September 2023.

Jackman and Foster, 49, were first romantically linked last December – just two months after he and Furness announced the end of their marriage in a joint statement. They were subsequently photographed together frequently at events while they starred together in the Broadway production of Music Man in 2022 and 2023.

Foster filed for divorce from her husband of a decade, Ocean’s Eleven screenwriter Ted Griffin, in October.

During the Music Man run and before their relationship became public, Foster and Jackman spoke glowingly of each other.

“He’s one of the greatest guys ever, an incredible costar,” she told People last year, while in a joint appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers to promote the show in May 2022, she said: “The show is so joyful, and I’m having the time of my life playing opposite this guy.”

In the same appearance, Jackman admitted he’d initially been intimidated by Foster.

“This is a six-time Tony nominee, two-time winner. Like, I saw her do Thoroughly Modern Millie when you were like four years old. But I’ve watched everything she’s done,” he said.

“It’s amazing.”

Jackman and Furness met on the set of Australian series Correlli in 1995 and wed a year later. They have two adult adopted children, Oscar and Ava.

Jackman was most recently seen in Australia over the Christmas break. He swam at Bondi Beach regular, and dined out with his children.

Foster and Griffin married in California in October 2014 and have a young adopted daughter.