Goldie Hawn’s First Marriage and Its Aftermath

Goldie Hawn’s First Marriage and Its Aftermath

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In 1975, at the height of their respective careers, a well-known musician and rising Hollywood star Goldie Hawn met by chance during a first-class flight from New York to Los Angeles. The connection between them was immediate and powerful, setting in motion a whirlwind relationship that would soon lead to marriage, children, and lasting personal consequences.

The musician was a member of The Hudson Brothers, a successful music group that had already performed alongside major acts such as The Beach Boys, The Osmonds, and The Monkees. Beyond music, he had also built a parallel career in television and film, including a memorable role in the cult classic Hysterical. By the time he met Hawn, he was firmly established in the entertainment industry.

Looking back on their first meeting, he described the spark as undeniable. “The attraction was instant. I invited her out to dinner that night, and that was it,” he said. Their relationship progressed quickly, and physical chemistry played a major role. “The [intimacy] was mind-blowing. Even when everything else in the relationship turned sour, the [intimacy] was always amazing,” he later shared.

The couple married in 1976 while Hawn was pregnant with their first child, a son. The birth, however, became a traumatic experience. Their baby was born at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and was immediately diagnosed with meconium aspiration, a dangerous condition in which a newborn inhales contaminated amniotic fluid. He was isolated for three days in intensive care.

“Goldie and I were beside ourselves,” the musician recalled. “She was really sick, and I’d go from her bedside to the neonatal intensive care unit. The doctors didn’t think [son’s name] would make it. But [he] pulled through, and from that moment, he was our precious miracle.” The experience deeply affected both parents and strengthened their early bond as a family.

In 1979, they welcomed their second child, a daughter. For several years, the family lived together, raising their two young children while both parents continued working in entertainment. Outwardly, they appeared to have built a stable life, but privately, their marriage was unraveling.

By 1981, the relationship came to an end after the musician discovered that Hawn had been unfaithful. He later said their fundamental views on commitment were incompatible. “Goldie was having affairs, [and] she told me pretty much on our wedding night that she wanted an open marriage, that she couldn’t imagine being faithful to one man for the rest of her life,” he revealed. “I wanted a traditional marriage, but Goldie couldn’t settle. Eventually, I moved out.” Their divorce left lasting emotional scars, particularly for their young children.

Two years after the split, Hawn began a relationship with actor Kurt Russell. Though they first met in 1968 on a film set, their romantic connection developed years later during a new project. In 1986, they welcomed a son together, further blending their families and reshaping family dynamics.

Adjusting to the new household was challenging, especially for Hawn’s older children. Her daughter later recalled the emotional weight of the transition: “For me, it felt like such a big moment because it was like, ‘My mom is madly in love with this guy.’” She added, “And I was meeting his son [Boston], which meant, ‘Does this mean that this is my brother?’ It was a lot to handle at such a young age.”

Over time, Hawn’s children grew closer to Russell, who became a steady father figure in their lives. Their relationship with their biological father, however, steadily deteriorated. Her son later reflected on his decision to publicly honor Russell as a parent figure, saying, “It doesn’t really matter which one of these men is my father. My pa stepped in when I was six and made me the man I am today.”

Both siblings have frequently expressed appreciation for Russell’s presence and support, even as their relationship with their biological father remains deeply strained. The musician, for his part, has openly voiced feelings of betrayal and accused Hawn of turning the children against him.

The family conflict became public in 2015 after a controversial Father’s Day social media post made by Hawn’s son. Alongside a childhood photo of himself, his sister, and their biological father, he wrote: “Happy abandonment day… @katehudson.” The post sparked widespread attention and intensified the already fractured relationship.

In response, the musician expressed anger and hurt, stating, “Oliver could have picked up the phone and called me, but he hasn’t. This was clearly premeditated; he chose the photograph and posted it on Father’s Day when he knew it would cause maximum pain.” He went further, saying that if his son wanted to remove him from his life, he had succeeded.

Tensions escalated when his daughter later paid tribute to Russell as her father figure. After she spoke publicly about Russell being the parent who was present during difficult times, her biological father issued an even stronger response. “I would ask them to stop using the Hudson name [because] they are no longer a part of my life,” he said. He also stated, “Oliver’s Instagram post was a malicious, vicious, premeditated attack; he is dead to me now, as is Kate. I am mourning their loss even though they are