The Hawn-Hudson family is celebrating a significant milestone as Wilder Brooks Hudson, the eldest grandson of Academy Award-winning actress Goldie Hawn, officially begins his college journey at the University of Colorado Boulder. The transition, marked by family gatherings and emotional social media tributes, highlights the close-knit dynamics of one of Hollywood’s most enduring blended families.
The Move to Boulder and Family Reactions
Wilder’s mother, actress Erinn Bartlett, shared the milestone on Instagram on August 25, 2026, documenting the emotional process of moving her 19-year-old son into his college dormitory. Bartlett, who shares Wilder, Bodhi, and Rio with husband Oliver Hudson, expressed a mix of pride and parental sentiment, noting that the transition brought both tears and excitement. Goldie Hawn also shared her feelings publicly, expressing her deep affection for Wilder and jokingly noting that she is already counting down the days until she can visit and annoy him again.
The choice of the University of Colorado Boulder is particularly fitting for the family. Hawn and her longtime partner, Kurt Russell, have long maintained a residence in Colorado alongside their homes in Los Angeles, Palm Desert, and New York, providing a familiar regional anchor for the young student.
A Multi-Generational Creative Legacy
Wilder’s entry into university life represents a new chapter for Hawn’s expanding family, which now includes eight grandchildren. Over the years, Hawn and Russell have watched their blended family grow through their children Kate Hudson, Oliver Hudson, and Wyatt Russell. The grandchildren have increasingly begun to carve out their own paths, many of them showing early interests in the creative and financial worlds.
For instance, Kate Hudson’s eldest son, Ryder Russell Robinson, graduated from New York University in May 2026 and recently made a brief appearance in his mother’s Netflix series Running Point. Meanwhile, Ryder’s younger brother, Bingham Hawn Bellamy, has developed a keen interest in baseball and the stock market, actively tracking financial news. Oliver Hudson’s daughter, Rio Laura, has expressed a strong desire to pursue acting, citing a deep connection with her grandmother. Wilder himself has already dipped his toes into the family business, having voiced a character in Hawn’s animated project Brain Buddies.
The Hawn-Russell Family Philosophy
The milestone also reflects the broader family philosophy that Hawn and Kurt Russell have cultivated since they first began their relationship in 1983. Having first met on the set of Disney’s The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band in 1968, the couple reunited fifteen years later on the film Swing Shift. Rather than focusing on traditional structures, they built a life centered on mutual support and presence.
Hawn has frequently emphasized that her role as a grandmother is not to direct her grandchildren’s lives but to offer a supportive, joyful presence. This philosophy of giving space while remaining deeply connected has guided the family through various public and private transitions. As Wilder begins his academic career in Boulder, the family continues to balance their public prominence with a shared commitment to maintaining close personal bonds.