Love at Second Sight
Kate’s family and career may be in high gear, but it’s her blissful romance that will really blow you away…though Kate’s initial introduction to Black Crowes front man Chris Robinson wasn’t memorable. Kate, who became a Black Crowes fan at the age of 12, found herself face-to-face with the lead singer but no clue who he was. “All the time I’d spent listening to them, I never bothered to check out the band’s faces because it was about their music,” Kate explains.
Talk about lucky reencounters. When they again a couple of years later at a party in New York City, their strong attraction took them both by surprise. “Within four days, we were together,” says Kate. “I met him on a Thursday and moved in that Sunday.” The secret to their success, Kate swears, was that “it was completely honest and immediately passionate and volatile, so we knew something was right.”
Her family tried to be very open-minded about Kate’s sudden relationship. “My family is crazy anyway, so I don’t think anything we do is considered that weird. But there was definitely a moment where they were like, ‘Okay, this is happening pretty fast,’ remembers Kate. Kurt, she says, was first to realize that this whirlwind romance was the real thing. “My dad said that he knew I was really in love with Chris when I came home and didn’t talk about him. I didn’t have to convince myself how great he was. I just knew.”
Kate acknowledges that she and her hubby of more than two years seem to be an odd couple at first glance. “Here is Chris, this tall and extremely thin and very lived rock and roller, and I didn’t grow up in that lifestyle. But when we met each other, both of our lives changed,” she explains. As for their 12-year age difference, Kate doesn’t see the big deal. “I don’t really think about it,” she shrugs. Perhaps it’s because her maturity belies her age. “She has the instincts of a 40-year-old, but she has that ’60s flower child in her as well,” says Obst. Which explains why she had no problem taking the plunge at 21. “I was actually voted to be the last of my girlfriends to get married. I was having a good time. I had boyfriends, but I was a free spirit,” says Kate. “And then I met Chris, and it was ridiculous. I can’t even explain it. It just hit me and that was it. It was amazing.”
But Seriously…
After spending two years in New York, Kate and Chris have bought a place in Malibu – and clearly relish being close to the Hawn-Russell clan. She plans to bring their pets – two cats and three dogs – along on an upcoming family trip to Colorado. She’s formed a production company with her mom and Oliver called Cosmic Entertainment and talks about producing and directing. But Kate Hudson seems mostly focused on enjoying her good fortune. Her life mantra: “I take my work seriously and myself not seriously,” she says, flashing that unforgettable smile once more before saying good-bye.
