In 1975, at the height of their fame, a world-famous musician and the legendary actress Goldie Hawn crossed paths for the first time.
It happened on a first-class flight from New York to Los Angeles. They clicked immediately. The musician was already well-known, having performed with big names like The Beach Boys, The Osmonds, and The Monkees. He was a member of The Hudson Brothers and also made appearances in TV shows and movies, including the cult classic Hysterical.
Recalling that first meeting, the musician shared, “There was instant electricity. The attraction was undeniable. That night, I asked her to dinner, and that was it.”
Their connection grew fast, largely due to their intense physical chemistry. He admitted, “The intimacy was always incredible, even when other parts of the relationship were falling apart.” Despite the deep connection, their relationship had its ups and downs. Sometimes, it felt like things were going well, but challenges still arose.
In 1976, the couple got married while Goldie was pregnant with their first child, a son. But the birth didn’t go as planned. Their son was born with a dangerous condition called meconium aspiration, where the baby inhales contaminated amniotic fluid. This happened at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
For three days, their baby was kept in isolation, and the couple was terrified. “Goldie and I were ecstatic, but then things got scary,” the musician remembered. “She was really sick, and I kept running back and forth between her bedside and the neonatal intensive care unit.” The doctors weren’t sure their son would survive. But he did. “From that point on, he was our miracle,” the musician said.
Three years later, in 1979, they welcomed a daughter. Life seemed good for the family of four. However, in 1981, everything changed when the musician discovered that Goldie had been unfaithful. Their marriage, which already had its struggles, ended. He had wanted a traditional marriage, but Goldie didn’t share the same vision.
“Goldie was having affairs,” he explained to the Daily Mail. “She told me, pretty much on our wedding night, that she wanted an open marriage. She couldn’t imagine being faithful to one man for the rest of her life.” He wanted something different. “I wanted a traditional marriage, but it wasn’t going to work with Goldie. Eventually, I moved out.”
After the breakup, Goldie began dating actor Kurt Russell in 1983. They had first met on the set of Swing Shift but didn’t start dating until they reconnected while filming The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band in 1968. Their relationship grew, and in 1986, their son Wyatt Russell was born.
Bringing the two families together was a big adjustment for everyone involved. Goldie’s daughter from her previous marriage shared, “For me, it was such a big moment because it was like, ‘My mom is in love with this guy,’ and I was meeting his son, Boston. I remember thinking, ‘Does this mean he’s my brother?’” It was a lot to take in for a young child.
Goldie’s kids also struggled with feelings of abandonment after their parents’ divorce. Her son recalled how their biological father, Bill, started to distance himself from them over time. He later expressed his feelings in a Father’s Day post about Kurt, saying, “It doesn’t matter which one of these men is my biological father. I became who I am because of the man who stepped in when I was six years old.”
Both siblings cherish the memories of Kurt becoming their father figure, even though their relationship with their biological father, Bill, remains strained. Bill has publicly expressed his sense of betrayal, accusing Goldie of “poisoning” the kids against him. Despite this tension, Goldie’s children, Kate and Oliver, are determined to move forward and stay positive about the future.
Oliver made their difficult relationship public in 2015 when he posted a shocking message on social media for Father’s Day. He shared a childhood photo of himself, Kate, and Bill with the caption, “Happy abandonment day… @katehudson.”
Bill, furious about the post, responded in an interview: “Oliver could’ve just called me. He didn’t have to post it. He knew exactly what he was doing.” Bill continued, saying that Oliver had managed to completely cut him out of their lives. The situation worsened when Kate also posted a tribute to Kurt on Father’s Day, following Oliver’s lead and further straining their relationship with Bill.
Kate later spoke about Kurt on The Howard Stern Show, saying, “Kurt was the one who was there for us when things were hard.”
Bill, clearly hurt, responded to the Daily Mail, saying, “I’ve asked them to stop using the Hudson name. They’re not part of my life anymore.” He went on to say, “I consider Oliver and Kate dead to me. Their posts on Instagram were cruel and deliberate. Even though they’re alive, I’m grieving for the children I’ve lost.”
After that, Bill reportedly got rid of all of Kate and Oliver’s childhood belongings from his home.
Despite the difficult relationship with his older children, Kurt has embraced his role as a father and even a grandfather to Kate and Oliver’s children.
While Bill still harbors resentment, Kate and Oliver have chosen to focus on the positive relationships they’ve built with Kurt, moving forward with their lives.
