Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell Explain Why They Don’t Need a ‘Marriage Certificate’ After 37 Years

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been one of Hollywood’s strongest couples for the last three decades, but the beloved duo never felt inclined to get married. The Overboard alums said they don’t need a “marriage certificate” to prove their bond because their relationship means so much more than a piece of paper.

“For people like us, the marriage certificate wasn’t going to create anything that otherwise we wouldn’t have,” Kurt, 69, shared with People in an article published on Wednesday, December 9. “I don’t know. [Nearly] 40 years isn’t enough to finally say, ‘Well I guess … .'”

Goldie, 75, isn’t bothered by their relationship status either considering “it’s not about the marriage,” she noted. “It’s about the people and the relationship, and the will to stay together. And that’s a big one because if you want it, you can have it.”

The First Wives Club actress and the Escape from New York star first started dating when they worked on the film Swing Swift in 1983. The couple, who first briefly met years earlier in 1966 on the set of The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, have been going strong ever since. Throughout their relationship, they blended their families while also raising their son, Wyatt Russell, 34. Goldie shares kids Oliver Hudson, 44, and Kate Hudson, 41, with ex-husband Bill Hudson, while Kurt is the dad of son Boston Russell, 40, with ex-wife Season Hubley.

Though Goldie couldn’t be more in love with the Thing actor, she pointed out that marriage just “doesn’t work” sometimes. “Our children got married. I mean, they didn’t not get married,” the Academy Award winner explained, noting both her sons are “very happily married” to their wives. Oliver tied the knot with Erinn Bartlett in 2006, while Wyatt exchanged vows with pregnant spouse Meredith Hagner in 2019.

“Katie got married once and that didn’t work,” Goldie continued, referring to the Almost Famous star’s former union with Chris Robinson. “She’s with this most amazing human [Danny Fujikawa], and I don’t know if she’ll marry again. The point is that we all tried marriage.”

After being together for more than 37 years, Goldie and Kurt know what they’re doing when it comes to maintaining their strong bond. The doting mom insisted a solid relationship is all about genuinely wanting to be with your partner.

“You’ve just got to want to be together. I don’t think there’s any way other than [to] do it,” she shared. “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.”

Whether or not they get married, Goldie and Kurt are like every other couple — which means some days are more difficult than others. Fortunately, the Death Becomes Her actress and the Tombstone star “rarely argue about anything.”

“They have golden rules that work for them … basically let things go [and] don’t sweat the small things,” an insider exclusively told Closer Weekly in October 2020. “[Kurt] calls [Goldie] his ‘guiding light’ and that hasn’t changed one bit after all these years.”

Goldie and Kurt are going to be together forever!