Kate Hudson Opens Up About Her Relationship with Her Estranged Dad: 'I Forgive Him'

Kate Hudson has forgiven her estranged biological father for abandoning her as a child.

The actress, who has been candid about her relationship with Bill Hudson in the past, recently went on The Howard Stern Show and elaborated on her life without her musician father.

"I really do recognize whatever those issues are, it's just something that he has to live with, and that must be painful for him. So I forgive him," she told the radio show host, adding that she believes forgiveness is "the greatest tool" for moving forward with life.

Her mother, Goldie Hawn, was married to Bill Hudson from 1976 to 1982. They had two children together, Kate and her brother Oliver. Asked if her father was absent her entire life, Hudson told Stern, "Not my whole life. He was around when we were young, it sort of teetered out."



Asked how she thinks growing up without her biological father affected her life, Hudson said, "Well I think that's like the age-old psychological core issue for any situation. Anybody who has had an experience with a parent that is absent, it's going to manifest," she said, citing issues with "self-worth" as a part of that.

Hudson said therapy has been a useful tool. "Oh yeah, I love therapy," she said with a laugh. "My therapist is on speed dial."

WATCH: Kate Hudson and Her Son Are at Odds in a Hilarious Way

But Hudson added that even as a child, she knew her parents' problems were not her own. "I never felt it was about [my dad] losing interest. My mom never spoke poorly of him, and I was a real tough little girl, like I understood what was going on. I did understand that it didn't have to do with me and Oliver. We did understand that. Maybe not on a cellular level, but on a cognitive level, yes," she explained.

Fortunately, her mom and stepdad, Kurt Russell, kept the children away from the situation. "My mom and Kurt were so great about never putting us in the middle," she said.

In fact, with Russell's parenting, Hudson said she never felt wanting for a father figure. "When you have a father like Kurt who's sort of been there for the hard stuff … the thing is he's not a perfect man, no one is, but the trust that I got from him in terms of his dependability was just priceless for me."

When Stern asked if Hudson ever felt "father hunger," she said with a laugh, "I don't but there is always the inability for me to understand my father. I don't understand it."

As for her father missing out on his kids' lives, and the lives of his grandchildren, the actress said, "That must be painful for him and he must have his reasons." But at this point in her life, she added, "I don't even want to add fuel to anything."

Ultimately, Hudson said her experience with her father has shaped the person she is today, "I have a thick skin because of it and I can take a lot, I'm incredibly resilient," she said, adding, "Everybody has their s---."