Kurt Russell is sharing the simple — but very specific — secret to his 40-year relationship with Goldie Hawn.
“You get with Goldie Hawn, you got a good chance [at making it last],” Russell, 72, told Esquire in an interview published on Thursday, March 7. “If you’re lucky enough to get with Goldie Hawn, it’s just how long she can put up with you.”
Calling Hawn, 78, the “whole package,” Russell noted that the actress is exactly what anyone would expect. “Women adore Goldie, men love Goldie,” he gushed, adding, “And if you don’t, there’s something wrong with you.”
Russell and Hawn first met in 1966 on the set of their film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, but they were both married to other people at the time. Russell tied the knot with Season Hubley in 1970. The pair welcomed son Boston in 1980 but divorced three years later. Hawn, meanwhile, was married to Gus Trinkonis from 1960 to 1976 before she wed Bill Hudson, with whom she shares kids Oliver and Kate Hudson. They divorced in 1982.
Russell and Hawn reconnected for 1983’s Swing Shift when they were both single and have been going strong ever since. They welcomed their son, Wyatt, in 1986, and have even continued to work together on screen. They teamed up for 1987’s Overboard, as well as 2018’s The Christmas Chronicles and its subsequent sequel, The Christmas Chronicles 2.Despite being one of Hollywood’s most iconic — and longstanding — couples, the pair have often been questioned about their decision to remain unwed over the years. While speaking with Variety in November 2023, Russell admitted that the topic of marriage has “come up in conversation” lately more than it used to, but the twosome ultimately feel content with the relationship they’ve chosen.
“We had both been married, we had both done that,” he told the outlet. “And you know what? We lived our life. We’ve had our family, our family continues to grow. It’s fantastic.” Russell added that he didn’t understand why people “care” if he and Hawn ever do get married or not, especially because it doesn’t bother their children.
Hawn, for her part, echoed his sentiments months earlier, telling CNN that divorce is an “ugly” situation that she wouldn’t want to repeat.
“Somebody actually has to take a look and say, ‘How many divorces actually are fun? How many divorces actually don’t cost money?’” she asked during the July 2023 interview. “‘How many divorces actually make you hate the person more than you did before? How many divorces have hurt children?’”
For Hawn, a long-lasting relationship is more about choosing your partner every day. “It’s about compatibility and communication. And you both need to want it to work,” she told Porter magazine in 2015. “If one person does not want it to work, it isn’t going to work. Intention is the key. It’s also about not losing yourself in each other. Being together, two pillars holding up the house and the roof, and being different, not having to agree on everything, learning how to deal with not agreeing. Everything’s a choice.”
Instead, the couple’s priorities have always been about creating a work/life balance that allows them to be there for their children and maintain a harmonious blended brood.
“[Kurt] came from three sisters and a very strong family unit,” Hawn explained. “I came from one sister and two parents and a big family unit. That’s what we care about. We talked about relationships and commonality early on. We had nannies, there’s no doubt about it. We’ve both been working. But we were very present with our children. It’s the same way we grew up.”
