Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell are still together after four decades of dating, and that’s pretty damn impressive. These two never married and many thought they’d drift apart over the years. However, the two veteran actors have stuck it out with each other, and they’ve gone on to raise a very happy family of their own.
Many have asked the couple what their secret is over the years, and the answer may surprise you: according to the couple, avoiding getting married has actually kept their relationship strong. Just why is that, and how did this relationship get started? Keep reading to discover the answer!
A lifelong relationship with Kurt Russell
At this point in time, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn are rightfully seen as one of Hollywood’s biggest power couples. Each one became a household name long ago, and if they wanted to, each of them could have a string of romantic partners to rival legendary lotharios like Leonardo DiCaprio.
Instead, the two have been in a loving and passionate relationship together for 40 years. At this point, the two have been together longer than many of today’s hottest Hollywood stars have even been alive. And we can’t help but cheer these two on as they effortlessly prove it’s possible to have a happy, lifelong relationship together.
A nostalgic, drama-free love
One of the reasons that we love to root for Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s relationship is that it seems like a shining reminder of yesteryear. Back when the American Dream felt new and fresh, everyone dreamed of finding their one true love and creating decades of awesome memories together.
Heightening that feeling is the fact that these two have never generated any fake drama between themselves for clout or to serve as a PR stunt. In other words, they actually treat their relationship as a sacred thing that the rest of the world can only catch occasional glimpses of. They have a pure kind of love, and it’s the kind that most of us can only consider “relationship goals.”
Each was afraid to date another actor
Considering how much they fell head over heels in love with each other, you might think that Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn experienced love at first sight. In reality, each of them was hesitant to start the relationship because they were scared to date another actor.
As reported by Yahoo!, Goldie Hawn said “I remembered that I liked him very much when I first met him.” However, “we both said we would never go out with another actor so it just shows you never can tell.” Fortunately, both of them were willing to take a chance on the relationship, though this might not have happened if they didn’t keep working together.
Goldie Hawn just kept running into Kurt Russell
When Goldie Hawn first met Kurt Russell, they were on the set of The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. She was 22 and he was only 17, so Hawn concluded that the charming man was too young to start a relationship with. But the two met 17 years later on the set of Swing Shift. Hawn had just separated from her husband, and a now much older Russell was ready to make his move.
According to Insider, the move was bold: Russell was “severely hungover” and decided to say the first thing that he thought of when looking at Hawn, causing him to blurt out “Man, you have a great figure.” She thanked him for the compliment and the two began dating in 1983, welcoming a son into the world three years later.
Their surprising secret to long-term happiness
Needless to say, many people have wondered what the secret is to Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn’s lasting relationship. It may seem shocking that they have been together this long without getting married. But to hear the couple talk about it, skipping out on a wedding is actually what kept them together!
In an interview with People, Russell laid everything out very clearly. “For people like us, the marriage certificate wasn’t going to create anything that otherwise we wouldn’t have.” In other words, it’s the feeling that matters more than the ceremony, and this is a sentiment with which Goldie Hawn fully agrees!
Realizing that marriage itself isn’t what’s important
In that same interview with People, Goldie Hawn agreed with what longtime partner Kurt Russell was saying. “It’s not about the marriage. It’s about the people and the relationship, and the will to stay together,” she said. “And that’s a big one because if you want it, you can have it. You’ve got to give things up, but the joy and the excitement of being together and touching the toes of somebody at night is really a nice feeling.”
According to this couple, most relationships fall apart because couples don’t understand the sacrifices they need to make to experience greater happiness together. But once you achieve this happiness as they have, it doesn’t take a special ceremony or an official piece of paper to achieve your own “happily ever after” ending.