The 'Wolverine' actor opens up about his sad childhood experience when his mother abandoned him at the age of eight.
- Oct 25, 2012
AceShowbiz - Shocking news comes from Hugh Jackman. In an interview, the 44-year-old actor revealed his bitter childhood memory. In the November issue of The Australian Women's Weekly, Hugh said that his mother abandoned him when he was just 8 years old.
"At the time, it was difficult," he said. "One of the main things I remember is that horrible feeling that people were talking about you and looking at you because it was odd for the mother to leave."
The "Australia" actor continued, "For many years, I thought it was not going to be forever, so I clung on to that. Up until about the age of 12 or 13, I thought Mum and Dad would get back together. Finally realising it wasn't going to happen was probably the toughest time to be honest."
After Hugh's parents divorced, his sisters Zoe and Sonia lived with their mother in England, while he and his brothers Ralph and Ian lived with their father in Sydney, Australia. Despite the family feud, the actor still kept in touch with his mother.
"The thing I never felt, and I know this might sound strange, I never felt that my mum didn't love me. I've spoken about it at length with her since and I know she was struggling. She was in hospital after I was born suffering from post-natal depression," he stated.
Hugh added, "And then you add five kids into the mix and the fact she had emigrated from England and there wasn't a support network for her here, plus the fact that Dad was at work all day - and you realize that as parents we make mistakes."
Hugh said that after he got married to Deborra-Lee Furness and adopted Ava and Oscar, he understood his mother's feeling. "I think having kids of your own just adds another level of empathy and understanding," he said. "And there comes a certain point in life when you have to stop blaming other people for how you feel or the misfortunes in your life."
Now, the "Les Miserables" star is close to his mother, Grace Watson. Last year, they were pictured spending time together.
