Dax Shepard knew Kate Hudson was married to Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson when she joined a poker game at her brother Oliver’s house. He tried to impress her anyway.
Shepard, 51, recalled the encounter during the October 28 episode of Armchair Expert, speaking with sisters Sara and Erin Foster. “I gave her 111% of any charm I have, right?” he said, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Shepard had become an admirer of Hudson, now 47, after watching Almost Famous. He remembered struggling to believe she was sitting there with him.
The two eventually dated for about three months in 2007. Shepard later married Kristen Bell in 2013, and they have two daughters. Hudson has been engaged to musician Danny Fujikawa since 2021.
A Malibu Dinner Gave Shepard Another Chance With Hudson
Shepard said he left the card game expecting nothing to happen, although he privately considered his performance a success. Later, a mutual friend’s invitation to dinner in Malibu brought them together again.
Hudson and Robinson had announced their separation in August 2006, as CBS News reported at the time. At the dinner, Shepard understood that she was single and decided to try his luck again. This time, they began spending practically every day together.
Sara’s memories included the beanies the couple seemed to wear constantly. “You guys got serious fast,” she told him. Shepard supplied a less fashion-focused memory, joking about how much time they spent kissing and having sex.
Sara also admitted feeling protective of Shepard because she had been friends with him before the romance began. She recalled questioning Hudson about dating someone she considered her best friend, only for Hudson to reply, “You don’t know him that well.” Shepard laughed at the revelation; he hadn’t known that conversation had happened.
Shepard Recalls Feeling Out of Place in Hudson’s Hollywood Circle
Dating Hudson introduced Shepard to a social circle that felt unfamiliar. She had grown up with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, and he was struck by the connections among her family and friends. Coming from the Detroit area, he felt like an outsider among people whose lives had long overlapped in Hollywood.
Erin challenged his recollection of how he fit in. Although she hadn’t been as close to Hudson as Sara was at the time, she remembered the actress’s friends seeing Shepard as an approachable, down-to-earth guy. She also said they respected that he didn’t treat Hudson with the kid gloves someone else might have used.
Hudson Previously Explained Why Their Relationship Ended
Hudson and Shepard discussed their breakup directly when she appeared with Oliver on the November 4, 2019, episode of Armchair Expert. Both remembered getting along and making each other laugh, but they described being at different points in their lives, according to Us Weekly.
Shepard said his career had been a source of insecurity. Several films hadn’t worked out, and he worried about whether more roles would come. Hudson, meanwhile, was earning more and receiving opportunities he wanted for himself. Accompanying her as she worked brought those feelings to the surface.
“Honestly, I wasn’t giving Dax what he needed and I was making choices that were not relationship-focused,” Hudson said.