Oliver Hudson says he was unfaithful to his wife before their wedding but 'never got caught'

Actor said on podcast he didn’t regret his actions

Tabitha Wilson
Wednesday 10 April 2024 11:37 EDT
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Related: Hudson’s mother Goldie Hawn opens up about battling depression

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Oliver Hudson has confessed to cheating on his wife, Erinn Bartlett, before their wedding in 2006.

The Rules of Engagement actor admitted he had been unfaithful after they became engaged, saying he “never got caught” but chose to confess to his bride-to-be before their big day.

“When I got engaged, something happened psychologically, and I spiralled, and I was unfaithful, and I was cheating, and I was crazy”, the American actor told Robyn Lively on an episode of his podcast Sibling Revelry, which he hosts alongside his sister, Golden Globe winner Kate Hudson.

The 47-year-old said Bartlett was an “amazing woman”, and that he chose to tell her the truth because “I couldn’t live with myself and get married and be married and have children with this sort of weight.”

Oliver Hudson said he hadn’t been faithful to his wife
Oliver Hudson said he hadn’t been faithful to his wife (Getty Images)

The pair have three children – two sons, born in 2007 and 2010, and a daughter, born in 2013.

The actor shared that his mother Goldie Hawn and father Bill Hudson helped him overcome his “issues”, with the acting duo encouraging him to understand why he’d been unfaithful.

“My mother played a big part in it as well. Where it’s about looking at the entirety and the totality of the relationship, not just the action. Even though it might seem extreme, let’s dig in a little bit into why and look at the whole person rather than this one affliction.”

He added that he and Erinn were able to work on “whatever I was going through” with therapy, saying he believes he is a “good man”, and not “malicious” – and that he doesn’t regret what he did.

“Honestly, if that didn’t happen I don’t know what kind of a person I would be. So do I regret it? I mean no, I guess not”, he explained, adding that he wishes he hadn’t hurt his wife: “I regret causing pain. I don’t want to cause anyone any pain.”

Oliver Hudson with mother, Goldie Hawn
Oliver Hudson with mother, Goldie Hawn (Getty Images)

The Nashville star’s remarks come after he was forced to clarify viral comments about his childhood and mother Goldie Hawn, which he said were “taken out of context.”

“She would be working. She had new boyfriends that I didn’t really like. She would be living her life and she was an amazing mother,” he said previously. “This is my own perception as a child who didn’t have a dad and needed her to be there and she just wasn’t there sometimes, and she came out far more than even my dad who wasn’t there.”

Speaking on his difficult relationship with his father, he acknowledged his “forgiveness” towards the musician, since he “essentially bailed” on him and his sister.

“When I was with him, it was incredible,” Oliver said. “He paid attention to me. We played football. We played basketball. We were on the beach. He taught me how to fish. He was so present, but he just was never there.”

He later explained the casual comments he made were turned into clickbait, after saying he “felt unprotected at times”.

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