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Who: Bohemian queen and legging entrepreneur Kate Hudson, 40, and goofball extraordinaire Dax Shepard, 44.
How They Met: Because this is Hollywood we're talking about, the following words are fact: Hudson and Shepard met at a house party at Toby Maguire's house. The two were seeing other people at the time. Hudson was still married to Chris Robinson and Shepard was dating ex,Briegh Morrison. It wouldn't be until sometime later in 2007 however (when they were both single), that they'd be seen outside of a Nobu Malibu — and Shepard would be inexplicably shirtless.
"While we were there, we said, 'Wouldn’t it be funny if we came out holding hands and I was your new boyfriend?'" Shepard explained when Hudson appeared on his podcast, Armchair Expert. "We were just pals. [...] And then we added, 'Wouldn't it be great if her new boyfriend didn't wear a shirt at Nobu?'"
Why We Loved Them: That prank solidified the duo as a fun-loving pair that wasn't afraid to get a few laughs. Hudson admitted as much, telling Shepard that she had a lot of fun while they were together and that while the relationship only lasted three months, it meant a lot to her.
Shepard agreed, saying that before they linked up, he'd never been monogamous with anyone, ever. He also explained that his relationship with Hudson taught him about communication, something he never actually did with his former flames.
"I literally learned how to say, ‘When you do this, I'm scared and I feel this way,'" he said.
When They Peaked: Although the two set tabloids on fire when that shirtless photo was published, the rest of their coupling stayed out of the headlines, for the most part. It wasn't until 2019, when Hudson appeared with Shepard on his podcast, that many people even remembered that they were an item. 2007 was a long time ago and both parties managed to find themselves in high-profile relationships after that fateful summer of love.
"First of all, very, very fun. [A] very memorable, very wonderful, fun experience," Shepard said of their relationship during the podcast.
The Breakup: Hudson noted that the two were "super compatible" and "laughed [their] asses off," but things didn't work out. They were "in different places in our life," she added.
Different places included Shepard feeling like he just wasn't enough for a star of Hudson's caliber. He told her that he was in a bad place professionally when they were together and he couldn't help but feel a little jealous knowing that her star was getting brighter and brighter.
"I think I was just in the point where I was not going to get hired for movies anymore," Shepard said. "I had a bunch that didn't work. And I'm like, 'I don't fucking know what's next.' And you were, at that time, making the most you ever made and having the most opportunity and I felt very much like, 'Fuck, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm following this person around as they do things I wish I were doing.' It was just a rough period for me anyways. Then I felt all kinds of inadequacy in that position."
There were no hard feelings, however. Hudson described the conscious uncoupling as a "mutual-esque end."
Where They Are Now: Shortly after the two ended their fling, Shepard started dating Kristen Bell. The two are married now and have two children, Delta and Lincoln. Post-Dax, Hudson was engaged to singer Matthew Bellamy. They welcomed Hudson's second child, Bingham, in 2011. The two separated in 2014 and Hudson is now dating actor Danny Fujikawa. Their daughter, Rani Rose, was born in 2018.
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