Hugh Jackman turned 55 on October 12. I really like Hugh and hope that the public persona we’ve seen over the years matches his real-life persona. Some celebrities you root for, and for me, Jackman is one of them. Hugh’s had a busy few months: He spent the pre-WGA strike filming Deadpool 3 with his friend Ryan Reynolds, he and Deborra-lee Furness announced their divorce after 27 years of marriage last month, and he joined Reynolds and Blake Lively on a Taylor Swift pap walk for a Jets/Chiefs game. He also announced last week that he’s working on a memoir with “big bombshells.” (Insert the “oh rly…” side eye emoji.)

Anyway, I think that it’s fair to say that a lot of people were surprised when Hugh and Deborra announced their split. PR statements keep insisting that the couple are on good terms and remain friendly. It looks like that may actually be the case because Deborra and their children joined him for a birthday meal at NYC restaurant Polo Bar.

There’s always an interesting crowd at Polo Bar. But last night there was a particularly fascinating table of revelers among the power crowd, we hear.

Page Six spies say that soon-to-be-exes Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness were at the chic Midtown hot spot, cheerfully celebrating the “Wolverine” star’s 55th birthday.

“Very happy time [had] by all,” said a source, “Think it was good birthday.”

Asked for comment on the former couple’s Thursday night out, a rep for Jackman told Page Six Friday morning: “Yes, it’s true. It was a lovely evening.”

Insiders confirmed that they were joined by their kids, Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18, and “a few close friends.”

Of course, the pair announced last month that they had decided to split after 27 years of marriage.

(It’s perhaps worth noting that if one were keen, say, to underscore that one’s breakup is an amicable affair, see-and-be-scene Polo Bar would certainly be the place to go to for a friendly dinner to prove it.)

[From Page Six]

If the Jackman family is happy to come together to celebrate Hugh’s birthday, then good for them! Seriously. By visiting Polo Bar, they’re clearly sending a signal for paparazzi to leave them and their family alone. It’s like, “We’ve heard the response to our separation and we want everyone to know that there’s no hard feelings here! Move along, now!” I respect that. Message received.

Meanwhile, Hugh also continues to have his friends around him. On the morning of his birthday, he went for a walk in NYC with Reynolds and Lively. It’s always nice to be able to count on friends and family when you’re in the middle of a big life change, and his friendship with Reynolds feels like the real deal. I’m sure Deborra and the kids also have a good support structure around them too. It looks like Hugh had a really nice birthday this year.


photos via Instagram and credit: Robert O’Neil/Backgrid