Hugh Jackman’s wife Deborra-Lee Furness talks candidly about adoption and says she was targeted

She’s long been a passionate advocate for adoption and shares two adopted children with her husband, Hugh Jackman.

And this week, Deborra-lee Furness revealed that despite her philanthropy, she’s been the targeted in the past by ‘anti-adoption people’.

Speaking on Future Women’s Drive podcast, the 64-year-old said that she has been ‘pummelled’ by people who for some reason oppose adoption.

But the Correlli star said that despite the criticism and backlash, it only drove her more.    

‘I got pummelled,’ Deborra-Lee said. 

‘I had a lot of the anti-adoption people really come at me.’

She added that she was determined to help children find a home, despite the backlash. 

‘I had to really sit and think about, like, ”am I doing the right thing?” and I did all my work and I looked at it and thought, ”no, these children need a home.” I just kept going.’ 

Speaking about being an advocate, she said she never intended to be one. 

‘I didn’t step out to do this… I never set out to be an advocate, that’s not really who I am,’ Deborra-Lee said.

‘I reached out and tried to just add my two Bob’s worth and just by talking about it, I thought it’ll get attention. I thought the people in the community would take over.’ 

Deborra-Lee shares two adopted children with husband Hugh Jackman, 51, son Oscar, 20, and daughter Ava, 15.  

In April last year, Deborra-Lee spoke candidly about her and Hugh’s adoption journey in a column she penned for Stellar magazine. 

‘The universe had a plan in place,’ Deborra-Lee wrote.

Deborra-Lee spoke about the adoption process a decade ago, with her initially going to Melbourne to start the journey back in the nineties.

However, the family later opted to adopt in the US, where the laws surrounding adoption are less draconian, which she said prompted questions.

‘Those who knew that Hugh and I had adopted our children Oscar and Ava in the US would come up to me in the street and ask: ‘Why is it so hard to adopt in Australia?’ 

She said this prompted her to call the editor of The Daily Telegraph, which soon led to her meeting with the Prime Minister at the time to speak about the issue.

Now the founder of Adopt Change, an advocacy group who campaigns to make adoption easier in Australia, Deborra-Lee slammed current legislation.

Deborra-Lee said: ‘The security of love helps develop self-esteem, building a child’s confidence and helping them contribute all they have to offer.’

‘Still today, tens of thousands of children are stuck in the statutory care system, not knowing what it is to find permanency with their carers.’     

In February 2015, Deborra-Lee, who was nominated for Australian Of The Year for her work in raising awareness about adoption, spoke to The Drum about adoption.

She told the ABC outlet about the need to amend laws on it.

Asked about how she and Hugh went to the US to adopt and felt slightly criticised in their native country of Australia, she was asked, ‘has this changed much since then?’

She replied: ‘I’m here to say, we are in the process of change now. I mean, I’ve been speaking out about this for eight years…and now we are speaking with the politicians,’ she said. 

In January that year, she told The Daily Telegraph that families wanting to adopt shouldn’t give up.

‘Be proactive, speak to the local ministers, advocates, until you get traction,’ she told the newspaper.

She added: ‘I am a big believer in mind over matter. Where there is a will, there is a way.’