Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster affirm their romance as they maintain palms on dinner date in Los Angeles

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster seemed to make their relationship official when they were spotted out on a dinner date on Monday evening.

The 56-year-old X-Men star and the 49-year-old Broadway veteran were seen holding hands and grinning ear to ear as they had a night on the town in Santa Monica, California, in new photos.

The outing comes the same day that Jackman was reported to be planning to go ‘public’ with his new ‘girlfriend’ in the imminent future. 

The new pairing follows Hugh and his estranged wife Deborra-lee Furness’ announcement in September 2023 that they were separating after 27 years of marriage.

In the photos, Jackman looked casual-cool in a charcoal zip-up jacket that he wore over a slim gray sweater and a pair of tan chinos with black sneakers.

He also sported a dashing salt-and-pepper beard and wore his hair shaggier than usual. 

Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster seemed to make their relationship official when they were spotted holding hands dinner date on Monday evening in Santa Monica, Calif., in new photos 

The outing comes the same day that Jackman was reported to be planning to go ‘public’ with his new ‘girlfriend’ in the imminent future

Sutton went with a more elegant look with a long double-breasted cashmere overcoat.

It featured interesting details usually reserved for military attire and classic trench coats, including a storm flap over her left shoulder and epaulets on her shoulders.

The Music Man star wore a lovely dark green maxi dress underneath that flowed elegantly and reached down to her ankles. 

She wore her shoulder-length brunette locks styled pin straight, and she completed her look with a pair of classic black pumps. 

As Hugh and Sutton walked down the sidewalk they had their hands locked tightly, and they turned periodically to gaze into each others eyes.

The former costars appeared to be having a great time, as they could be seen smiling broadly and laughing together. 

Representatives for Jackman and Foster didn’t immediately comment on their evening out together. 

Their outing comes after the Logan star attended a performance of Foster’s production of Once Upon A Mattress in Los Angeles over the weekend, which had just transferred after wrapping up a run in New York at the end of November.

Hugh was casual in a charcoal zip-up jacket with a gray sweater, tan chinos and a salt-and-pepper beard; pictured in May 2022 in NYC

Sutton was the picture of elegant in a double-breasted brown cashmere overcoat that she wore with a dark green maxi dress and classic black pumps; pictured December 13 in LA

In September 2023, Hugh shocked fans when he filed for divorce from wife Deborra-Lee Furness after 27 years of marriage; pictured in May 2023 in NYC

Jackman isn’t the only one recently exiting a marriage, as Foster filed to divorce her husband, 53-year-old Ocean’s Eleven screenwriter Ted Griffin, in October of last year; seen in June 2022 in NYC

The two stars had previously shared the stage on Broadway when the played the leads in an acclaimed production of the classic musical The Music Man.

Jackman isn’t the only one recently exiting a marriage, as Foster filed for an uncontested divorce from her husband Ted Griffin in October of last year.

She had been married to the 53-year-old Ocean’s screenwriter for 10 years.

Foster and Jackman have been swarmed in recent months by rumors that an affair between the two scuttled their marriages.

Fans had remarked on how close they appeared to be in their off-stage interactions while they appeared together in The Music Man, but Furness seemed to credence to the rumors when she like an Instagram post in October from a gossip blogger who claimed that her husband was ‘running off with the mistress’ and planning a ‘soft launch’ of their relationship, according to Us Weekly.

A source told DailyMail.com in October that Furness had her suspicions of an affair, but she was still ‘blindsided when she found out about the affair.’

They described the alleged affair as ‘Broadway’s worst-kept secret,’ adding that ‘Deborra-Lee was the last to know.’

According to a RadarOnline report, Furness was particularly upset over the behavior of Jackman’s close friend Ryan Reynolds and his wife Blake Lively because they allegedly ‘kept quiet’ about the rumored affair.

In October, Jackman’s ex Furness liked a post suggesting he had had an affair with Foster, and a source claimed to RadarOnline that she was upset that his friends Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively had allegedly kept quiet about the supposed affair; seen in August in NYC

‘They kept their lips sealed out of loyalty to Hugh,’ a source claimed to the publication.

‘Now she is seething with rage over being the last to know, Deb feels blindsided. She has a memory like a steel trap and isn’t afraid to use it.

‘Debs feels cheated by all three because someone could have told her what was happening and they all chose to keep their mouths shut,’ they added.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Furness and Reynolds’ representatives at the time for comment.

Following Jackman and Furness’ split, the former couple shared a statement addressing the breakup.

‘We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth,’ they announced.

‘Our family has been and always will be our highest priority,’ they continued. ‘We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.’