Kate Hudson’s Oscar Nod Sparks Family Firestorm: Dubbed An ‘Abomination’

Kate Hudson’s latest awards-season high just collided with a very public family feud. Hudson landed an Oscar nomination for her role in "Song Sung Blue," but the news is being met with blistering criticism from Mike Sardina Jr., the son of the late Mike Sardina, the real-life man Hugh Jackman portrayed in the film. Jackman and Hudson led the cast as real-life husband-and-wife Mike and Claire Sardina, Milwaukee-based Neil Diamond impersonators from the 1990s who formed a band called Lightning and Thunder. But while Hollywood is celebrating Kate Hudson’s performance, Sardina Jr. is calling the praise “disgusting” and says the film has erased him and his sister from his father’s legacy.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mike Jr. didn’t hold back when asked about Hudson’s work, and his review couldn’t be further from the accolades being handed out this season. "I thought her performance was weak. I have no idea why everyone is kissing her rear over it," he said. "The story was weak, and the acting was not pleasant on the eyes or ears."

He reportedly views the acclaim around her performance as “disgusting” and called the nomination itself an “abomination,” also claiming her portrayal had “no depth at all.” He added that he “certainly didn’t believe for a second that she was a performer.”

And he didn’t stop with Hudson.

According to Mike Jr., Kate Hudson wasn’t the only one who missed the mark. He said he felt the 'same' about Jackman and Jim Belushi, who played the tribute band's manager Tom D'Amato. "Kate and Hugh’s performances are SO off base, and it was like watching people who didn’t care trying to play a man who cared for God and others more than anything," he said.

"Kate’s performance was so lax, so uncaring, it’s hard to believe she was trying at all," he continued, dismissing her as a "terrible actress" and slating the movie as a "travesty" and a "disgrace" that had left his late father "rolling in his grave."

Mike Jr. also took aim at the entire production, adding, "Shame on anyone who is a part of this film and continues to deny my sister and I my father’s legacy, which he worked his whole life to achieve and pass on to his son."

But the family isn’t fully united on the film or Kate Hudson’s performance. Mike Jr.’s sister, Angelina, offered a much more positive take, saying, "I think Kate did a great job," and describing Hudson’s nomination as "well-deserved" and her work as "outstanding."

Angelina even said Kate Hudson outshone Jackman in her eyes, claiming he "did okay, but it didn't feel like my dad. I felt like he was someone playing my dad, but he fell short of the character."

The tension surrounding the movie goes beyond performance critiques. Last month, Mike Jr. claimed his existence was "purposely cut out of the film" and said he was paid "a pathetic $30,000" to be a "consultant" on the project. He is listed as a consultant alongside Angelina, who was portrayed on screen by singer-songwriter King Princess, and she confirmed she received the same amount of money.

In text messages between Angelina and producer John Fox from September to December 2024, Fox confirmed the $30,000 figure. Fox also acknowledged her frustrations about the lack of input, telling her, "I totally understand, and I'm sorry, know it's not the most ideal situation."

Angelina’s contract reportedly stated there was no obligation to consult and that she authorized a fictionalized telling of herself and the story. She also said, "I didn't have any contact with King Princess, who played me. And I didn't have any contact with Kate Hudson or Hugh Jackman, anyone from the cast."

Mike Jr., however, has continued to argue that his absence from both the film and the press tour was intentional, and he previously called Jackman and Kate Hudson "monsters" for failing to mention him during promotion.

Kate Hudson has addressed Mike Jr.’s claims, but made it clear she wasn’t going to offer her own breakdown of why certain choices were made. She told the Hollywood Reporter, "Honestly, I don’t even know - out of respect for our filmmakers, I'm not the right person to speak to it."

Jackman has not publicly responded at the time of this writing.