Kate Hudson, Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow bond over this relatable parenting pain

Now this is an impressive mom gang

Kate Hudson has formed a super A-list mom gang
(Image credit: David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)

Between them, there’s Oscars, albums, hit TV shows, legendary romcoms and thriving businesses.

But Hollywood superstars Kate Hudson, Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow formed a mom gang last year for a very relatable reason.

All three had to suddenly face the sad realization that their children were growing up as they each said goodbye to one of their kids going off to college.

Gwyneth and Kate have been pals for a while, and now they support one another in their next phase of motherhood

(Image credit: Jeff Vespa/Getty Images For Elle Magazine)

Speaking about sharing the bittersweet moment with Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate told TODAY, “Our kids were in school together, and we both have that moment together. When we look at each other, we’re like, ‘How you doin’? Cause we experienced it at the same time.”

Kate saw her 18-year-old son, Ryder, (from her marriage to Chris Robinson) move to the other side of the country to attend college, which she said presented a shock to her sense of normality.

“It’s so hard,” the Almost Famous star explained. “All you want is your kid to thrive and be happy. But, man, when I’m in LA, and I go to the coffee machine in the morning, and I don’t hear his voice, it’s a big one.”

Kate Hudson's son, Ryder Robinson, has left for college

(Image credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

Reese Witherspoon has shared this particular feeling with Kate after celebrating her son Deacon's graduation from high school back in June.

“All of our kids went to college at the same time,” Kate noted, adding that her fellow actors have been able to commiserate with each other over the inevitable passing of time.

Kate Hudson and Reese Witherspoon have seen their sons off to college

(Image credit: Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Tiffany & Co.)

It might be a case of be careful what you wish for though, for the dazzling star of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

In 2019, Kate had previously spoke about being excited for her son to grow up, joking about going to a bar with him.

In an interview, she said, “People kind of go, ‘I want to freeze them when they’re little.’ I’m like ‘I don’t,’ actually. I’m having a blast. I can’t wait to go to a bar with my kid — is that weird? He’s so much fun!”

“He’s almost 6 feet. I used to dream about that day, like, ‘One day, honey, I’m going to be looking up to you,’” she went on to explain to Ray. “And the other day, he gave me a hug, and I almost burst into tears. It’s crazy, it’s amazing, it’s beautiful.”

Still, Kate has found a way to keep herself busy as she learns to let go of her eldest.

The actress has made a fine return to form, starring in the smash hit sequel to Knives Out, Glass Onion.

She’s also breaking into new territory – music. The multi-talented star will release her first album this February.

She first revealed that she was entering the music world back in 2022 when she shared a photo of her in the studio to her 16 million Instagram followers.

In the post, she describing singing as her “ikigai”, which translates to “reason for being” in Japanese.

Kate has shown off her pipes before, starring in the musical movie Nine and appearing on episodes of Glee.

Jack Slater
Freelance writer

Jack Slater is not the Last Action Hero, but that's what comes up first when you Google him. Preferring a much more sedentary life, Jack gets his thrills by covering news, entertainment, celebrity, film and culture for woman&home, and other digital publications.


Having written for various print and online publications—ranging from national syndicates to niche magazines—Jack has written about nearly everything there is to write about, covering LGBTQ+ news, celebrity features, TV and film scoops, reviewing the latest theatre shows lighting up London’s West End and the most pressing of SEO based stories.