Hollywood legend Goldie Hawn has offered a rare and candid insight into her remarkable 42-year relationship with fellow film star Kurt Russell, revealing the unconventional secrets that have kept their partnership flourishing without marriage.
The Foundation of Lasting Attraction
In a revealing interview on The Dan Buettner Podcast, shared with People magazine, the 80-year-old Oscar-winning actress spoke openly about what maintains the spark in one of Tinseltown's most enduring partnerships. Hawn, who remains a vibrant blonde bombshell, didn't hold back when discussing her continued physical attraction to the 74-year-old action movie stalwart.
'I am very sexually attracted to him,' Hawn declared emphatically. 'And that's important. If you have a long-term sexual relationship, that's actually really healthy. He's my sexual object.'
The Butterflies Are Free star added that she still finds Russell 'incredibly handsome to this day,' while also expressing deep admiration for his character. 'I have respect for him because I think he's an amazing person,' she noted, highlighting the dual foundation of physical and emotional connection.
The Freedom to Flourish
Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Hawn's relationship philosophy centers on personal freedom within partnership. She offered a striking metaphor to explain why their unconventional arrangement works so successfully.
'I have a relationship with birds,' Hawn explained. 'I'm a bird. And you leave the cage door open, I may never fly out. But if you close that door, for my freedom and my independence, I would probably take all my feathers off.'
This sense of liberty, she revealed, is precisely what keeps her committed to Russell. 'It's a freedom of basically not melding into somebody else, when you're copacetic on certain areas and you have freedom,' said the Snatched actress, addressing the perennial question about why they've never married.
'Even if we did get married, it wouldn't make any difference because it's 42 years now,' noted the Foul Play star, suggesting that formal matrimony wouldn't alter their established dynamic.
Family First Philosophy
Beyond personal freedom, Hawn emphasized the central role family plays in their relationship's longevity. She praised Russell's natural rapport with their blended family, which includes her children from her previous marriage to Bill Hudson - Kate and Oliver Hudson - as well as Russell's son Boston from his marriage to Season Hubley, plus their own son Wyatt, born in 1986.
'Kids love him. We're an unbelievably happy family — most of the time,' Hawn shared. 'There's a cohesiveness. Why would I want anybody who is perfect? There is no such thing.'
In a 2015 interview with Porter magazine, Hawn elaborated on their family-centered approach. 'Kurt came from three sisters and a very strong family unit. I came from one sister and two parents and a big family unit. That's what we care about,' she explained.
'We talked about relationships and commonality early on,' Hawn continued. 'We had nannies, there's no doubt about it. We've both been working. But we were very present with our children.'
Practical Partnership Principles
Hawn's relationship wisdom extends beyond romance into practical partnership principles. She stressed that marriage certificates aren't the magic ingredient for enduring love.
'A lasting relationship isn't about marriage,' the Hollywood Squares veteran asserted. 'It's about compatibility and communication. And you both need to want it to work. If one person does not want it to work, it isn't going to work. Intention is the key.'
She described their dynamic as '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.'
A Hollywood History
The popular pair's story began back in 1968 when they first met on the set of Walt Disney's The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. However, it took fifteen years before romance blossomed during the production of Swing Shift in 1983.
Their relationship developed at significant moments in both their lives - Hawn had divorced Bill Hudson three years earlier, while Russell had recently ended his marriage to actress Season Hubley. Their blended family grew naturally, with Russell becoming stepfather to Kate and Oliver, while Hawn embraced stepmotherhood to Boston.
Now, after more than four decades together, with Russell next appearing in The Madison from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, Hawn's revelations offer a refreshing perspective on what truly sustains a Hollywood partnership against the odds.
