Hugh Jackman’s Private Song at Rupert Murdoch’s 95th Birthday Stirs Scrutiny
Hugh Jackman sang selections from The Greatest Showman at a black-tie dinner honoring rupert murdoch’s 95th birthday, performing inside the Grill at the Seagram Building in midtown Manhattan. The private performance and a guest list that included politics, business and sports figures have renewed attention on the actor’s ties to Trump-aligned people.
Hugh Jackman at the Grill in the Seagram Building
Jackman delivered several numbers from his 2017 film as part of what organizers called a private celebration. The setting was the Grill, a restaurant in the Seagram Building in midtown Manhattan, and the dress code for the evening was black tie. Those details framed a short set that placed the actor at the center of a small, high-profile gathering.
Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner were among guests who stood nearby as Jackman sang. One account from the event noted that Ivanka Trump was cheering him on during the performance. Resurfaced footage of the night has drawn fresh attention to Jackman’s relationship with Kushner and others in attendance.
Rupert Murdoch’s guest list included political and sports figures
The celebration marked rupert murdoch’s 95th birthday and brought together figures from politics, industry and sports. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and former U. K. Prime Minister Tony Blair attended, as did U. S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The president, who did not attend, sent a video message to wish Murdoch a happy birthday.
That mixture of guests—family, former officials and business leaders—helped shape the public response after images and reports from the night circulated. For some viewers, the convergence of Jackman with Trump-aligned figures prompted unease about the actor’s perceived political proximity.
Hugh Jackman’s personal life and the public reaction
Online reaction included direct responses from fans. A self‑described “anti‑everything MAGA” mom named Kristy wrote that she unfollowed the actor, saying the move would send a message to his millions of followers. Those reactions arrived as Jackman’s private life was already in the headlines.
Jackman’s reported wedding plans with partner Sutton Foster have hit a pause. His children, Oscar and Ava, are named in recent accounts and said to be processing their father’s new relationship after his divorce from Deborra-Lee Furness was finalized last June. The couple had announced their separation in September 2023 and later filed for divorce in New York in May 2025.
Furness shared a public statement in May 2025 that read, “My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal. ” Those remarks fed unconfirmed rumors of infidelity, which neither Jackman nor Foster has publicly addressed.
For now, Jackman’s performance at the Grill stands as a moment where personal and public lines crossed. He sang for rupert murdoch’s milestone, the president sent birthday wishes, and the renewed scrutiny remains unanswered by Jackman. His wedding plans with Sutton Foster have been paused as his family adjusts, and he has not publicly addressed the revived attention surrounding the performance.