Oliver Hudson is opening up about his upbringing, shedding light on his experiences being primarily raised by his mother, Goldie Hawn, and her longtime partner, Kurt Russell.
Speaking on the March 18th episode of his Sibling Rivalry podcast, the 47-year-old actor shared insights into his journey of self-discovery, mainly through his participation in the Hoffman Institute, a transformative program aimed at unpacking familial patterns and building emotional resilience.
"I did this course called the Hoffman Institute — which was this really powerful thing for me — where you're unpacking the patterns that were put upon you from your parents and stepparents," Hudson said on the podcast. "This idea that we have negative love in our lives and in order to survive, we need love of some kind and sometimes it's not healthy love but we attach ourselves to those things. This course was all about understanding what those patterns were and kind of learning how to break through them and building your toolbox."
Reflecting on his childhood, Hudson delved into the complexities of his relationship with his mother, expressing feelings of vulnerability and occasional neglect despite Hawn's role as his and sister Kate Hudson's primary caregiver. He confessed to moments of feeling unprotected due to Hawn's busy schedule and her romantic entanglements, revealing that his perception of her as a mother was marked by a longing for her constant presence.
"My mother was the one that I had almost the most trauma about interestingly enough because she was my primary caregiver and I was with her all of the time," he shared with guest Bode Miller. "I felt unprotected at times. She would be working. She had new boyfriends that I didn’t really like. She would be living her life and she was an amazing mother. This is my own perception as a child who didn’t have a dad and needed her to be there and she just wasn’t sometimes and she came out far more than even my dad who wasn’t there."
Surprisingly, his relationship with Hawn rather than his absentee birth father, Bill Hudson, emerged as a focal point during the Hoffman Institute sessions. Hudson revealed that the experience allowed him to confront and understand the trauma associated with his upbringing, leading to a deeper appreciation for his mother's efforts despite their imperfect relationship.
While Hudson's bond with Hawn remained strong despite their challenges, his relationship with his birth father has been more tumultuous. A public rift was highlighted on Father's Day in 2015 when Hudson posted a throwback photo with his sister, Kate Hudson, and his father, captioned with the phrase, "Happy Abandonment Day." However, since then, the actor and his dad have tried to reconnect and mend their relationship in private.
Despite the complexities of his upbringing, Hudson reminisced on positive memories with his father, recalling moments of joy and presence during their time together. As he navigates parenthood himself with his wife, Erinn Bartlett, Hudson acknowledges the inherent challenges faced by his parents and emphasizes the importance of forgiveness and understanding.
"When I was with him, it was incredible," Hudson recalled in his latest podcast. "He paid attention to me. We played football. We played basketball. We were on the beach. He taught me how to fish. He was so present, but he just was never there. It was a perspective shifter for me for sure."
As Hudson is raising his and Bartlett's three children - sons Wilder and Bodhi, along with daughter Rio - the actor holds the belief that his own parents were trying their best.
"It’s an incredible week of enlightenment on who your parents were and are," he shared when recapping his experience with Hoffman Institute. "The forgiveness and compassion you have for them at the end of this process is unbelievable. Then you realize they’re only repeating the s**t they went through with their parents."
"The forgiveness of my father was huge because his dad left him when he was five years old," Hudson continued. "My dad didn't do that exactly, but he bailed."
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