A little girl was abandoned by her father, who cruelly claimed she was “dead” to him—but she grew up to become a famous actress.

In 1975, a member of The Hudson Brothers met actress Goldie Hawn on a first-class flight from New York to LA. The spark was immediate. “The attraction was instantaneous,” he recalled. They had dinner that night, and their romance took off, marked by intense physical chemistry.

They married in 1976 while Goldie was pregnant with their son, who faced a serious health scare at birth—meconium aspiration. The couple eventually split, and in 1983, Goldie began dating actor Kurt Russell, whom she had first met in 1968. Their romantic relationship started while filming Swing Shift, and their son, Wyatt, was born in 1986.

Blending their families was challenging. Goldie’s daughter recalled the moment as life-changing: “My mother is madly in love with this guy.” She also met Kurt’s son Boston, making her wonder, “Is this my brother now?”

Tensions between Goldie’s children and their father, Bill, became public in 2015. On Father’s Day, Oliver posted a throwback photo with the caption: “Happy abandonment day.” Bill reacted angrily, calling it a “calculated attack” and saying Oliver could’ve just called him. He later added that Kate and Oliver were “dead” to him and removed their childhood keepsakes from his home.

Meanwhile, Kurt Russell has fully embraced the role of grandfather to Kate and Oliver’s children. Despite Bill’s resentment, Goldie’s kids have chosen to focus on the strong bond they’ve built with Kurt.