Kate Hudson Says Abandonment By Father, Bill Hudson, Was A Blessing

The relationship between Kate Hudson and her father, Bill Hudson, has always been strained, to put it mildly, but now, as Kate moves forward with her life and career with a new book, she is re-evaluating her abandonment issues with forgiveness. The Skeleton Key actress says Bill’s abandonment of her and brother Oliver turned out to be a blessing, bringing the brother and sister closer together, as they bonded over the loss of their father.

Kate Hudson Sees The Humor In Life’s Tragedies

Kate admits that she and Oliver dealt with Bill’s departure from their lives in different ways, each of them coping on their own, but she adds that it has brought them together through the years. Now, after much time has passed, Hudson says that she and Oliver can find humor in it all.

Kate adds that their sense of humor does come from Bill Hudson. She says that the few memories she does have of Bill as her father are of his sense of humor and his ability to laugh at a situation. Even now, Ms. Hudson carries those traits with her, as she strives to live a positive, fulfilling life.

“Life is funny. I just feel so lucky. I actually feel like it was a blessing. No matter what he goes through, I’m all forgiveness.”

Kate’s ability to move forward comes only months after Bill publicly disowned both her and Oliver in a disheartening and mean-spirited statement. Following Kate’s message to Kurt Russell on Father’s Day, Bill said that he disowned Kate and Oliver, requesting that they both stop using the Hudson name as their own.

Oliver posted his own thoughts on Father’s Day, which seems to have added salt to a festering wound.

“They are no longer a part of my life. Oliver’s Instagram post was a malicious, vicious, premeditated attack. He is dead to me now. As is Kate. I am mourning their loss even though they are still walking this earth.”

Kate Hudson Moves On With Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love your Body

Kate and Oliver eventually found stability and happiness with their mother, Goldie Hawn, and Kurt Russell, who was only too willing to step up as a father figure.

“We had a fun childhood. We had very present parents despite their busy schedules,” said Ms. Hudson. “They were very present and now with my brother and all of our kids that’s our whole family’s motto – family first.”

That’s just one of the themes in Kate’s new book. Primarily, though, Pretty Happy: Healthy Ways to Love Your Body is all about helping women feel good about themselves, because, as Kate says, the most important part of a positive self image is feeling good about looking into one’s mirror.

“It’s really about a holistic approach to finding peace with yourself – acceptance and peace then you get excited about what you’re eating because it feels good and then you can get excited about getting stronger because you’re exercising and it feels more accessible,” Ms. Hudson says in describing the premise of her new book.

Her success in the writing of self help books hasn’t dulled Hudson’s interest in acting one bit. In fact, she’s just as in love with filmmaking today as she always has been. Kate says it’s not just about the finished product. She loves every aspect of making movies from beginning to end. At a time when it seems so many actresses have nothing but criticism for Hollywood, Kate says she loves the Hollywood community and thinks if the many interesting people she meets as a part of her extended family.

Kate Hudson will next appear in Mother’s Day, which will see an April 28 theatrical release.

[Image by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images]