Hugh Jackman Wants To Pay Your Rent—Even as His Own $29 Million Apartment Lingers on the Market

Hollywood star Hugh Jackman is offering to help a few lucky people to snag a month of free rent—even as his own lavish $29 million New York City apartment remains up for grabs.

The 57-year-old "Wolverine" star and Global Citizen ambassador joined Bilt founder Ankur Jain for the company's latest "Rent Free" game show, which challenges celebrities to perform to the best of their ability in order to give as many of its members a free month of rent as possible.

Jackman's collaboration comes as he prepares to host the Global Citizen Festival on Central Park's Great Lawn on Sept. 26, where some 60,000 attendees are expected to gather in support of the organization's efforts to combat extreme poverty.

Speaking to Jain, the actor explained that he has been involved with Global Citizen since 2008, when he met its founder, Hugh Evans, revealing that he quickly realized the initiative was about so much more than a charitable program.

"It was one of those moments when I realized, this is a movement, this is a whole different way of making change, bringing people together, where it doesn't matter how old you are, what job you have, how much money you have," he said.

"Everyone, particularly as a group, can solve extreme poverty. So I just got onboard."

But before Jackman's next big gig with Global Citizen takes place, he's offering, not only the chance for some Bilt members to secure free rent for a month, but also the chance to attend the festival on an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City.

His participation is just one part of a broader collaboration between Bilt and Global Citizen surrounding this year's festival.

Bilt members will be able to redeem general admission tickets to the event, with proceeds donated to Global Citizen. Three members and their guests will also score an all-expenses-paid VIP weekend in New York City for the festival.

The prize will include flights and hotel accommodations, as well as an early look at the festival and VIP access to the event on Central Park's Great Lawn.

Meanwhile, a limited co-branded Global Citizen collection will be released through The Bilt Collection, with proceeds benefiting the cause.

For the first time, members will also be able to donate the points they've accumulated through Bilt directly to Global Citizen.

"Ending extreme poverty has never been the work of a few large donors. It's millions of people choosing to act, over and over,” Global Citizen co-founder and CEO Evans said.

“What Bilt facilitates is a way for that choice to fit into something people already do every month, which is exactly how movements grow," he continued.

"We're grateful to have Bilt Members standing with us on the Great Lawn and everywhere else they live."

This year's campaign is focused on three major goals: helping get 2 million children into school, supporting 1.5 million smallholder farmers and bringing electricity to 2.5 million homes.

But Jackman's involvement in the rent-focused initiative comes with an ironic real estate twist: The actor is currently trying to offload his own pricey New York City pad, which remains on the market for just under $29 million.

In March, he put the sprawling New York City unit, which he once shared with his ex-wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, on the market for $28.75 million, less than one year after the former couple finalized their divorce.

Jackman and Furness, 70, purchased the palatial five-bedroom dwelling for $21 million in 2008 and had originally listed it for sale in June 2022—more than a year before they confirmed that they had split—for the much higher price of $38.9 million, however it was removed from the market just two months later.

Instead, the duo pivoted and offered up the property as a rental, listing it for the sky-high price of $125,000 a month in September 2023, around the same time that they announced their separation.

Sources previously confirmed to Realtor.com® that the unit was leased by a tenant, who had been slated to remain in the property until December 2026, although it appears those plans have since changed, with the unit appearing back on the market on March 31.

Though the listing makes no mention of the property's celebrity owners, it does hint at the sellers' eagerness to remain as private as possible, noting that there are "very limited showings" being offered to prospective buyers.

Property records show that the unit is still registered to the limited liability company that Jackman and Furness used when they purchased the home in 2008. It's the same LLC that they used to buy a majority of the dwellings they shared during their marriage.

As part of their divorce agreement, the duo split other properties in their portfolio, including a sprawling penthouse apartment on Eleventh Avenue, which they bought for $21.12 million in 2022.

That unit was sold to an LLC linked solely to Furness at around the same time that the former couple's divorce was finalized—for around half of its $23 million value, suggesting that she had paid her ex-spouse for his half of the dwelling.

It's unclear whether the pair will split the proceeds from a future sale of their other apartment, which is located in a stunning building on Perry Street and was designed by acclaimed architect Richard Meier.

Described in its listing as a "modernist masterpiece," the triplex unit spans exactly 11,000 square feet and features an incredible double-height living room with walls of windows that overlook the Hudson River.

"The residence's striking minimalist design makes it one of the most dramatic apartments in Manhattan," the listing notes.

Each of the levels in the three-story apartment is equipped with enormous entertaining spaces, starting with the eighth floor, which includes a "huge recreation room" and a terrace, as well as a library that can also double as an additional guest room.

Four of the five main bedrooms in the unit are located on this floor and all have their own en-suite bathrooms.

Moving upstairs via the unit's unique spiral staircase, which connects all three floors, residents will find the "dramatic double height great room," as well as a den and lounge, a professional-grade kitchen, and a separate dining room.

The entirety of the 10th floor is occupied by the palatial primary suite, which features its own spa-style bathroom, a sauna, a workout room, dual dressing rooms, as well as a private terrace.

Should the property's future buyers fail to find enough amenities to amuse them in the unit itself, they need only head downstairs, where an array of options are on offer to the building's well-to-do residents, including a "state-of-the-art fitness center," as well as exclusive access to celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Perry St. Restaurant, which is located in the building.

In-house dining services provided by the eatery are also available to those living within the building.

The relisting of the palatial property comes amid Jackman's ongoing romance with Sutton Foster, 51, whom he first sparked dating rumors with after they starred together in the Broadway rendition of "The Music Man," which began previews in December 2021.

However, they did not officially confirm their romance until after Jackman and Furness announced their split in September 2023, telling People in a statement that they had "decided to separate to pursue their individual growth."

"We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness," the statement continued.

Just over a year later, it was revealed that Foster and her husband, Ted Griffin, were also divorcing, around three months before she and Jackman finally confirmed their romance.

In May 2025, Furness issued an emotional statement about the divorce, speaking out about the "betrayal" that she had experienced during the split.

"My heart and compassion goes out to everyone who has traversed the traumatic journey of betrayal," she told the Daily Mail. "However I believe in a higher power and that God/the universe, whatever you relate to as your guidance, is always working FOR us.

"This belief has helped me navigate the breakdown of an almost three-decade marriage."