Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-Lee Furness cosy up for a stroll with their dogs in New York

She blasted ‘mean-spirited’ rumours surrounding her husband’s sexuality.

And Deborra-Lee Furness, 64, looked smitten as she cosied up Hugh Jackman, 51, for a low-key stroll with their dogs, Dali and Allegra, in Manhattan, New York on Saturday.

The Australian actress protectively placed her arm around the X-Men star as something interesting grabbed her attention on his phone.

Deborra-Lee kept things casual in an all-black ensemble, while Hugh wore a stylish black hoodie and beige trousers.

The pair both wore masks to help limit the spread the coronavirus.

Hugh and Deborra-Lee’s cosy sighting comes after she addressed the persistent rumours about her husband’s sexuality on Anh’s Brush with Fame.

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes when asked about the persistent rumours by the show’s host, Anh Do.

‘I see these magazines and they’re so mean-spirited… I hope people realise it’s all made up,’ she said. 

She added: ‘[Hugh’s] been gay for so many years, I was gay too when I did [the 1988 film] Shame. They were shocked when I got married.

‘It’s just wrong. It’s like someone saying to Elton John, “Oh he’s straight”. I’m sure he’d be p**sed!

‘And so what! What are we discussing here… Is he a vegetarian… Is he gay?’

Rumours surrounding Hugh’s sexuality have plagued the 51-year-old multi-talented actor for most of his career.

Hugh addressed the speculation in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter back in 2013, blaming the Internet.

‘Just recently, it bugs her,’ he said of the online rumours, adding that Deborra-lee accesses the Internet more than he does.

‘She goes: “It’s big. It’s everywhere!”‘ Hugh continued.

Hugh and Deborra-lee have been married since 1996 after meeting on the set of the show, Correlli.