Kurt Russell explained why he and Goldie Hawn never married after 43 years.
Legendary Hollywood couple Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, who have been together for 43 years, never made their relationship official. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, the actor revealed for the first time that they decided not to marry early in their relationship—and have never regretted it.
According to 75-year-old Russell, he and 80-year-old Hawn met at a screen test for the film "The One and Only Original Family Band" when he was just 16 and she was 21. But the spark between them didn't fly until years later, on the set of "Shift Change" in 1983. Their meeting was a funny one: Kurt showed up to the audition hungover, but upon seeing Goldie, he complimented her figure and then asked her to teach him how to dance. Instead of dancing, they ended up talking all night.
"By that time, we had both gone through a divorce. She had two small children, Oliver and Kate, and I had one, Boston. We immediately hit it off and decided, 'Let's have fun until we get bored.' Forty-three years have passed since then," the actor shared.
They starred together in several more films: the comedy "Overboard" (1987), where they played the leading roles, as well as in two parts of "The Christmas Chronicles", which were released in 2018 and 2020.
When their relationship blossomed into something more, the couple didn't change their minds. A stamp in their passport, they believed, wouldn't have changed anything. Back in 2007, almost 20 years ago, Goldie Hawn herself explained in an interview with Women's Day that they had "no reason to get married." "We both have our own means of support, we're both financially independent. We've raised our children beautifully, and they're wonderful people. We've done a great job, and we didn't need to get married to do that. I love waking up every day and seeing him next to me and knowing I have a choice," Page Six quotes the actress as saying.
Like Russell, Hawn has repeatedly had to explain why their relationship works even without marriage. "If I were a bird and you left the cage door open, I'd probably never fly out. But if you closed the door, I'd probably pluck all my feathers for my freedom and independence," she said. Goldie also believes the secret to their long-lasting love is that Kurt remains "very sexually attractive." "Because sex is what brings people together and strengthens the bond between them. People who have healthy sexual relationships tend to stay together much longer. But it's not just the act itself, but the warmth and intimacy it creates," the actress said.
The couple has a son together, actor Wyatt Russell, born in 1986. Together, they also raised children from previous marriages: Oliver and Kate Hudson (Hawn's children with musician Bill Hudson) and Boston Russell (Kurt's son with actress Season Hubley). Interestingly, their adult children are against their parents finally getting married. "We're doing just fine," they joke. And when reporters ask Russell if they're planning to finally tie the knot, he replies, "We still get married every five years, even though Goldie and I are almost 400."
Recently, on March 17, 2026, Goldie congratulated Kurt on his 75th birthday on social media: "Happy birthday, my forever love. 43 birthdays together. How lucky we are!"
Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty ImagesStill from the film "Overboard"/"Kinopoisk"goldiehawn/Instagram**