Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's Love Story

What started as a casual hike with an old family friend turned into the kind of love story that Hollywood usually writes scripts about—but for Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa, it's real life. Hudson, a Golden Globe-winner best known for her roles in popular 2000s rom-coms, has long been a beloved American actress.

The daughter of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson (and raised by Kurt Russell), Kate Hudson is recognized for her vibrant, free-spirited persona and openness about her personal life. Hudson's fiancé, Danny Fujikawa, has been by her side for years, but their story began long before romance entered the picture. So who exactly is Danny Fujikawa, and how did a longtime family friend become her future husband? Here's a closer look at their journey, from how they met to the milestones they've shared along the way.

• Kate Hudson is engaged to Danny Fujikawa. They have been together since 2016.
• Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa met in the early 2000s.
• Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa got engaged in September 2021.
• Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa share one child together: Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa.

In this article:

• Who is Kate Hudson's Fiancé, Danny Fujikawa?
• How Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa Met
• Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's Relationship Timeline
• Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's Engagement
• Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's Children

Who is Kate Hudson's Fiancé, Danny Fujikawa?

Photo: @katehudson | Instagram

Danny Fujikawa may not be a household name like his famous fiancée, but he has an interesting background in the entertainment world. Fujikawa is a musician and former frontman of the Los Angeles-based indie band Chief, where he served as singer and guitarist.​ The band released an EP in 2009 and a full-length album in 2010 before disbanding the following year​. In 2013, he cofounded his own record label, Lightwave Records, as a way to release music on his own terms. Fujikawa also studied recorded music at New York University, though he left before graduating to travel and pursue music full-time​. In recent years, he's dabbled in various aspects of music production—even coproducing Hudson's 2024 debut album, Glorious.

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How Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa Met

Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa actually met long before any romance sparked between them. Hudson has shared that she first crossed paths with Fujikawa in the early 2000s through her best friends, Sara and Erin Foster, who are Fujikawa's stepsisters​.

Hudson told the story of their initial meeting with a celebratory anniversary post she uploaded to Instagram, which was accompanied by a photo of the pair sharing a kiss.

"The first time I met Danny I was 23 and enormously pregnant with Ryder. His step sisters are my best friends @sarafoster @erinfoster and so it goes we have been in the same circle for over a decade! A year ago today Danny took me on a hike and what I thought was just a hike with a family friend turned very quickly into an unexpected first date. No moves were made on this first date. In fact, it took months for him to make a first move! And as a kiss on this bridge would have been nice, the kiss a year later was so much sweeter. So on our 15th year of knowing each other we were able to open our hearts to each other to feel so much pure love and it's been truly incredible! ❤️Happy first date anniversary baby."

Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's Relationship Timeline

From their first date to coparenting a blended family, Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's journey has unfolded both privately and in the public eye. Below is a timeline of major moments in their relationship, including first appearances, family news and the latest updates.

December 2016: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa go on their first date

After years of friendship, Hudson and Fujikawa's love story began on a hike. Fujikawa invited Hudson on what seemed like an ordinary outing in Los Angeles, but that day turned into their first date, marking the moment their relationship moved beyond just friends​.

May 2017: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa make their red-carpet debut as a couple

Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin | GettyImages

It didn't take long for Hudson and Fujikawa to go public with their romance. In May 2017, the couple made their official red-carpet debut at the Los Angeles premiere of Snatched, a comedy film starring Hudson's mother, Goldie Hawn​. Hudson, then 38, glowed on the red-carpet with Fujikawa by her side, and the two weren't shy about packing on a little PDA for the cameras.

April 2018: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa are expecting a baby

In April 2018, Hudson announced that she was pregnant with their first child together, and that it was a girl​. The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actress surprised fans with a fun Instagram video featuring a gender reveal (complete with pink confetti balloons) and a caption expressing relief at finally sharing the news. "SURPRISE!!!" Hudson wrote, explaining that she'd been trying to keep the pregnancy under wraps but "I'm a poppin' now!" The baby would be Hudson's third child (she has two sons from previous relationships) and Fujikawa's first.

October 2018: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa welcome their daughter

On October 2, 2018, the couple's daughter, Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa, was born. In the weeks that followed, Hudson shared sweet glimpses of baby Rani on social media, and Fujikawa spoke proudly about Hudson's strengths as a mother. "I've seen her do things that I can't imagine doing myself and I'm very proud of her," Fujikawa told ET. "And I'm in awe of her for some of the things that she is able to do when she sets her mind to it."

September 2021: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa are engaged

Photo: @katehudson | Instagram

After nearly five years together, Hudson and Fujikawa made it official. Fujikawa proposed to Hudson in September 2021, and the delighted actress announced their engagement on Instagram on September 13, 2021. Hudson posted a photo of the two kissing on a mountaintop, her new ring on full display, captioned simply, "Let's go!👰‍♀️💒🤵🏻‍♂️"​

July 2023: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa make a stylish appearance at Paris Fashion Week

Photo: Stephane Cardinale - Corbis | GettyImages

In July 2023, Hudson and Fujikawa jetted to France and turned heads at the Giorgio Armani Privé haute couture show during Paris Fashion Week​. The Glass Onion star posted a video to her Instagram account, sharing moments from the show. She and her fiancé posed arm in arm in coordinating ensembles, looking every bit the chic power couple. Hudson, 44, dazzled in a two-piece gown, while Fujikawa, 37, rocked a complementary cream suit.

July 2024: Kate Hudson performs at Surf Lodge in Montauk

On July 13, 2024, Hudson performed songs from her debut album Glorious at Surf Lodge in Montauk. Fujikawa was present to support her, along with her good friend Lynsey Addario, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and author.

August 2024: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa take a family trip to Las Vegas

Photo: @katehudson | Instagram

In August 2024, Hudson shared photos from a family trip to Las Vegas with Fujikawa and their daughter Rani. The images included playful moments by the pool and candid shots capturing their family fun. ​

February 2025: Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa attend the Running Point premiere in Los Angeles

Photo: @katehudson | Instagram

Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa attended the Los Angeles premiere of her new Netflix series, Running Point. Hudson wore a champagne satin gown by Roberto Cavalli, while Fujikawa complemented her look in a classic black suit.

Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's Engagement

Danny Fujikawa popped the question on September 13, 2021, nearly five years into the couple's romance​. The proposal itself was kept private, but Hudson's ecstatic Instagram announcement spoke volumes. She posted a sweet photo of the couple kissing atop a mountain (with a stunning view to match her new ring, which has a diamond with an elongated cushion cut and an east-west setting).

With an engagement length of nearly four years now, Hudson and Fujikawa don't seem to be in any rush to walk down the aisle. "I just haven't planned the wedding," she said on ITV's This Morning in 2022. "I go back and forth, I go, 'Do I really want a big wedding?' We're so happy. It's not the first thing I need… I've been there before. I've got kids with three different dads. It's not really the golden ticket—a wedding. And we also don't know where we're gonna do it. But it will happen."

By March 2025, Hudson was candid about the possibility that she and Fujikawa might never formally marry. On The Drew Barrymore Show, Hudson admitted she likes the idea of being "engaged forever." "I like my freedom," Hudson explained, noting that her perspective comes from being raised by Hawn and Russell, who never married yet have been together for decades​. "They never signed the contract. They've been engaged since I was 7," she said.

Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa's Children

Photo: @katehudson | Instagram

Kate Hudson and Danny Fujikawa share one daughter together, Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa, born in October 2018. The couple chose the name Rani (pronounced "Ronnie") to honor Fujikawa's late father, Ron Fujikawa. "Ron was the most special man who we all miss dearly. To name her after him is an honor," Hudson shared in her Instagram announcement of their baby girl's arrival​.

In addition to Rani, Kate Hudson has two older children from previous relationships. Hudson's eldest son, Ryder Russell Robinson, was born in 2004 (his father is Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson), and her middle child, son Bingham Hawn Bellamy, was born in 2011 (his father is Muse frontman Matt Bellamy).