Although they never actually married, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have long been one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood. The couple has maintained their relationship through thick and thin and they seem as happy as ever. They both have an incredible sense of humor on and off the big screen, so it's no wonder they have been together for over three decades.
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Hawn and Russell met for the first time on the set of the Disney film, The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band in 1966. Hawn was 5 years older than Russell, so the stars hadn't aligned yet. It would be years before they would become a couple.
"I was 21 and he was 16," Hawn told BBC Radio 4 in an interview in 2012. "I thought he was adorable, but he was much too young. Then, years later we met up again, and I remembered that I liked him very much when I first met him. We both said we would never go out with another actor so it just shows you never can tell."
After a short-lived marriage to dancer Gus Trikonis, Hawn married musician Bill Hudson with whom she had two children, Oliver and Kate Hudson, who both went on to have successful acting careers. After receiving an Oscar nomination for her role in Private Benjamin, Hawn finalized her divorce with Hudson in 1982. She went through a few boyfriends before reconnecting with Russell on the set of the 1984 film Swing Shift.
An exciting (and hilarious) beginning
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The pair had a pretty crazy first date, which seems only fitting. According to People, Russell spilled all the details in an interview on Harry Connick Jr.'s talk show Harry. During the filming of Swing Shift, Russell asked Hawn to take him out swing dancing in preparation for his role in their World War II drama. They ended up at the Playboy Club and were having so much fun, they wanted the night to keep going. The couple ended up at a house that Hawn was renovating, but she didn't have the key. One thing led to another and you could say the cops ...well, interrupted them.
"We eventually found our way upstairs, looking around at imaginary furniture and we were in the imaginary bedroom...when the police walked in because we had to break into the place to get in" Russell recollected.
A happy blended family
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The night ended in a hotel room and they have been together ever since. The couple welcomed son Wyatt Russell in 1986. In addition to Kate and Oliver Hudson from Hawn's previous marriage, the couple had Russell's son Boston Russell from his marriage to ex-wife Season Hubley.
The following year, the lovebirds starred together in the romantic comedy Overboard. Hawn plays a spoiled rich woman who loses her memory and Russell plays a struggling single father who uses her amnesia to his advantage. Decades later it remains a classic as well as an entertaining depiction of their undeniable chemistry as co-stars.
So why aren't they married?
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While people have constantly questioned the couple's decision not to get married over the years, Hawn defended their decision in a 1990 interview.
"I already feel devoted and isn't that what marriage is supposed to do? So as long as my emotional state is in a state of devotion, honesty, caring and loving, then we're fine. We both have independent finances, we're both independently well-off. We have raised our children brilliantly; they are beautiful people. We did a great job there and we didn't have to get married to do that. I like waking up every day and seeing that he is there and knowing that I have a choice. There is really no reason to marry."
In 2017, Hawn and Russell received a dual star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, posing together in this adorable photo. Both stars nothing but smiles as they enjoyed their special honor in their home of Los Angeles.
"Look, I've said this for 34 years, I don't think Goldie and I, in real terms, are any different than any other couple; we go through all the same things," Russell told People at the premiere of his 2017 film, Guardians of the Galaxy.
"I think that love conquers all and there have been times where I felt like, she's like, 'No this can't go on,' and you know, and vice versa, it's been the same thing and I can't, this can't go on. I think that's the same for everybody... you come out the other side...Goldie is just spectacular, she is great, she is spectacular, she is the right girl for me," he said.
It doesn't matter how many times they've addressed it, people still feel the need to question the couple's decision on avoiding marriage on paper. Hawn addressed the situation yet again in a recent interview with CNN's Chris Wallace.
"When it doesn't work out, it ends up to be big business," the actress said.
"It's always ugly," she continued. "Somebody actually has to take a look and say, 'How many divorces actually are fun? How many divorces actually don't cost money? How many divorces actually make you hate the person more than you did before? How many divorces have hurt children?' "
"I mean relationships are hard," she continued. "They're not always easy. There's all kinds of hurdles we go through. There's things that we believe in, things we don't believe in, we agree on."
"So I think ultimately staying independent with independent thinking is important, so you can hold on to yourself, and you can actually have that feeling."
They support each other's careers
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Russell starred as Santa Claus in the Netflix film The Christmas Chronicles, and Hawn made a surprise appearance at the end as Mrs. Claus. They later reprised their roles in The Christmas Chronicles 2. Fans just can't get enough of these two sharing the screen.
Over the years they have supported each other's acting careers on red carpets and always look like they are having a blast. They also remain passionate about their close-knit family, regularly spending time with their children and grandchildren. Their love story really is one for the ages. When Russell hit the milestone birthday of 70 in March 2021, his partner was quick to sing his praises on social media.
"Happy birthday baby! What a wild ride. No, we never got married but one thing that continues to grow is our love. You're a wild one, brilliant, lovable, childlike, perfectly maddening, a father supreme and deeply funny! I can't imagine my life without you at any age, Kurt Russell. You're the catch. And you're all mine"
As if that doesn't make you wish you were part of the family, Kate Hudson took the birthday as an opportunity to really open up and gush about the man she calls "pa." Along with a fun throwback photo of the entire family when the kids were young, she posted about the kind of man Russell is around his family. I dare you not to cry as you read her post that proves that we've been right all along...he really is as amazing as he seems!
"A note for all dads of girls. He gave me the gift of confidence instilling a knowingness in me that I deserved everything I worked for and I knew that he'd always have my back in whatever challenges may lay ahead. When you have a dad who gives you permission to be confident you live courageously."
This article was originally published in March of 2020.
