Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell remain one of the most enduring celebrity couples in the modern era.
The pair, who have been together since 1983, have a blended-family romance spanning decades, across careers and multiple children.
Though their relationship has hit the 40-year mark, their history goes back even further.
It was 1966 when the famous lovebirds actually first crossed paths. The couple were filming the 1968 Disney musical The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band at the time.
Despite their obvious chemistry, it would take another 15 years before Hawn and Russell would eventually get together. The star-crossed lovers needed a few failed marriages before their romance would truly begin.
“I was 21, I think, and he was 16 and I danced and he was a young actor. I remembered him, I thought he was adorable but he was much too young,” Hawn recalled on BBC’s Desert Island Discs.
“Then years later I saw him on this show, and we ended up meeting and knowing a lot of the same people… I remembered that I liked him very much when I first met him.”
At the time, Russell was married to his ex-wife Season Hubley. The pair tied the knot in 1979, divorcing four years later in 1983.
Hawn, for her part, was married to her first husband, actor Gus Trikonis. They married in 1969 and divorced in 1973.
She then married Bill Hudson from 1976 until 1982.
Though their romantic lives were on vastly different trajectories, photos from the time appeared otherwise.
An iconic 1970 shot of Hawn and Russell, who were both married to other people, is a surprising reminder of their unique love story.
They were pictured in New York City enjoying a night out on the town. That photo was taken precisely 13 years and three divorces before the pair finally got together.
Though they weren’t loved-up yet, Hawn and Russell ran in the same Hollywood social circles. They were already familiar co-stars and had built a longstanding friendship.
It took an on-screen reunion for their romance to truly blossom. Both starred in the 1983 film Swing Shift and shortly after became an item.
In 1986, the couple welcomed their first child together: Wyatt Russell. He was a welcome addition to their brood, which also included Russell’s son Boston and Hawn’s children Oliver and Kate Hudson.
Surprisingly, though, the famous celebrity couple never actually married.
This year marks 40 years since their relationship began on Valentine’s Day in 1983 and Hawn previously opened up about why they never sealed the deal legally.
“We’ve both been married before, it didn’t work, so why do it again?” Hawn said on UK talk show Loose Women in 2016.
“I would have been long divorced if I’d been married,” the Snatched actress continued. Loose Women in 2016.
“Marriage is an interesting psychological thing. If you need to feel bound to someone, then it’s important to be married. If you have independence… there’s something psychological about not being married because it gives you the freedom to make decisions one way or the other.
“For me, I chose to stay,” Hawn added. “Kurt chose to stay, and we like the choice.”
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