Embed from Getty Images
Siblings Kate and Oliver Hudson have a podcast called Sibling Revelry, which “explores the sibling bond, family dynamics, the human mind, and so much more.” As such, they usually share both deeply personal and funny stories on it, like Oliver addressing his past infidelities or swapping sibling hijinks stories with Seth Myers and his brother. On this week’s episode, Kate and Oliver revisit something that they touched upon earlier this year. About eight years ago, they found out that they had a half-brother from their father, Bill Hudson, named Paul. Paul was born when Bill was 16 and had been adopted. Paul sought more information about his birth family at his wife’s urging, and, well surprise!
“We found out we had an adopted brother, like, eight years ago,” Kate, 45, shared on the Monday, April 22, episode of her and Oliver’s “Sibling Revelry” podcast. “And he was put up for adoption and none of us knew on our dad’s side.”
Kate and Oliver, 47, are the children of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson. Bill, 74, who has several kids from other relationships, was not always present in their lives. Kate and Oliver often speak fondly of Goldie, 78, and her longtime partner, Kurt Russell, who they refer to as “Pa.” Goldie and Kurt, 73, who have been together since 1983, share son Wyatt Russell. (Kurt, 73, also shares son Boston, 44, with ex-wife Season Hubley.)
Kate noted that it was “wild” when their half-brother, whose name is Paul, reached out to connect with them. “One of the things Paul said was he had a great childhood and has a really full, happy life and never felt like he had to reach out and find out who his birth parents were,” the actress shared. “It was really his wife who was like, ‘I want to know what your history is. I want to know for our kids, for you.’ And so, he basically left it up to her. He’s like, ‘If you want to find this out, go ahead.’”
Though the siblings said they have yet to truly get to know Paul, Oliver revealed that he physically “looks like a Hudson.”
“He loves to fish. I’m a big fisherman,” Oliver stated, to which Kate added, “And his kids are very creative and athletic. I mean, it definitely fits into the whole Hudson vibe.”
One thing the duo isn’t sure of yet is whether Paul inherited their family’s musical abilities, though Kate joked Oliver doesn’t have much musical ability himself. “What are you talking about? I can f—king sing,” Oliver clapped back. “I don’t think you give me enough credit.”
Kate and Oliver previously opened up about learning about Paul on a February episode of their podcast. “I show up at my house and there’s a note under the door,” Oliver shared earlier this year. “And it says, ‘My name is Paul. I’d love to have a conversation with you.’ Turns out, this guy Paul who lives in Utah is my, our half-brother. My father had him when he was 16 and had to give him up for adoption.”
At the time, Oliver noted that thanks to 23andMe, he and Kate discovered that they may even have another half-sibling. “That, we’re trying to figure out,” he added, revealing that Paul slipped the note under his door while traveling to Disneyland in California. Kate said Paul thought Oliver “would be better [sibling] to give the note to. “And the irony is that Oliver was like, ‘I can’t deal with this.’”
Oliver explained that he had a friend call Paul’s number pretending to be his assistant, which Paul didn’t fall for. “The first thing [Paul] said is like, ‘Yeah, I guess your brother’s [assistant] — she said she was his assistant – but it didn’t sound very professional,’ which made me immediately realize he actually was our brother,” Kate joked.
So, yeah, while it’s wild to have another half-sibling show up out of nowhere, it’s equally just as wild for a normal person to take a DNA test and find out that his biological dad is a famous singer and his half-sister is an Oscar Golden Globe winner from a famous family. Like, what does a regular person even do with that information? It’s not quite clear how Paul found them, but the article does imply that Kate and Oliver also may have found another potential half-sibling because of 23andMe.
I have mixed feelings about that! I did 23andMe about 10 or 11 years ago because I thought it would be cool to find out half of my family history that I know nothing about. It was cool, and as they update it, I find it incredibly informative overall. I truly love what I’ve learned from my heritage. Regardless, I now have very mixed feelings about those DNA programs. This wasn’t on my naive radar a decade ago but I’m worried that my personal data will be sold off somewhere.
Photos credit: Courtesy of Bill Hudson / Avalon and Getty
Finding an unknown sibling is one of the reasons I’d be nervous to do it! My dad was a good looking guy in the Army. 😆
I have debated doing 23andMe though. I think it would be super interesting.
You are right to be nervous. I did it and found 8 half-siblings. I was raised as an only. Quite surprise for all nine of us. Kind of unnerving.
Idk what it’s like in other countries but here in Canada I think we are also lacking legal certainty that the genetic testing results couldn’t be used against you when you are applying for private insurance e.g. life, critical incident, long term disability.
I am very wary of sharing my genetic information through a test like that.
OMG 8 half siblings! Wow oh wow
Oprah did a show about discovering she had another half sister, Patricia
Kate isn’t an Oscar winner she is Oscar nominated.
This is a nice story of a guy encouraged by his family to find out his roots. Just without PBS.
Glad they can roll with it and accept him. Now I want to hear their podcast.
Oops thanks! I’m at the dentist with my son but will fix it when I have a chance later. Thanks!
One of Clint Eastwood s children was put up for adoption. At age 30 she decided to search for her biological parents. And found records of her biological parents.eastwood was not told about the pregnancy of his then girlfriend. He welcomed her to the family and she met her half siblings
A cousin of my husband’s discovered that she couldn’t be biologically related to her father-and at that point both of her parents and my MIL (who might have known more) were dead. It was really sad and unnerving for her.
Rosie-
You can have your sample destroyed; it is an option available to customers. That’s what I did.
Really? Did you get to keep your results though?
They may destroy the sample, but data lives forever.
I can’t imagine searching for bio family and finding it’s the Hudsons. I do find slipping the note under the door a little weird though, how did he find his house? Contact his agent or manager or something first.
I assumed they’d already met and were on a vacation together at Disneyland when Paul slipped the note about the other half-sibling under Oliver’s door.
I have a few friends who did 23 & me or Ancestry to find out their parents had affairs and children from affairs (including one who found out her next door neighbor growing up was a half sibling). They’d always suspected something and it’s something they do joke about (because they had always been close with the neighbor kids and remained close) so they were glad they took theists.
There was a recent article somewhere about the number of adoptees and others finding out that they were the result of incest, and how the prevalence of incest is increasing
I recently was contacted by a half-sister through Ancestry. She located and was close to our birth mother and family and surprised to learn she wasn’t the only child adopted. It was wild when I found out my birth mother and the family she raised were in the same area I ended up in and highly likely we walked right by each other at some point over the years.
She bugs and I don’t know why.
So I am a genetic genealogist and I’m routinely doing this work nowadays. Whatever testing company you use will destroy your sample and delete your account at your request. You won’t have access to the data afterwards.
Using these tests are not as dangerous as the amount of private info people give away on social media!
Thanks for this insight Pinky.
My experience is from the other side and I used to work for companies who had access to some of the data a mobile phone and its apps collect. You’re absolutely right; the amount of personal info that people consent to giving out via apps is shocking. The one company I worked for could so quickly build a profile of a person and that person’s habits. That data was usually sold in some way to other companies.