Kate Hudson has responded to criticisms from the son of the couple she and Hugh Jackman depicted in the film Song Sung Blue.

“Honestly, I don’t even know — out of respect for our filmmakers, I’m not the right person to speak to it,” the 46-year-old actress explained during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published on Thursday, January 8.

In the film, Hudson plays Claire Sardina and Jackman takes on the role of her husband, Mike Sardina. The movie follows the couple’s journey in their Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning & Thunder, and is based on the 2008 documentary about their lives and careers in the Wisconsin music scene.

However, not everyone is pleased with the movie’s portrayal. Mike and Claire’s son, Mike Jr., has publicly criticized the biopic, alleging that it does not accurately represent his father’s life. Mike Sardina Sr. passed away in 2006 at the age of 55.

Despite the film’s reception, winning favor with some audiences, Mike Jr. has voiced his grievances. “Everybody thinks it’s such a wonderful film [and] it’s so touching. It’s all lies,” he told the Daily Mail on Monday, December 29, expressing his disappointment with the portrayal of his parents’ legacy.

“Everybody thinks it’s such a wonderful film [and] it’s so touching. It’s all lies,” Mike Jr., 41, told the Daily Mail in December 2025. “It steals all the hard work that my father put in his entire life.”

Mike Jr. claimed he was not consulted about the film and says he does not have an analogous character in the film, unlike his siblings. (In addition to Mike Jr., Claire and Mike shared daughter Angelina. Claire is also the mother of two children from a previous relationship.)

“Every interview that those monsters have been on national television don’t even mention my existence at all, even though I was the most prevalent force in my father’s life, even when I wasn’t in Wisconsin because I’m his only son,” Mike Jr. claimed to the outlet. “They didn’t even try to contact me. … They didn’t try to get more information.”

THR reported on Thursday that Mike Jr. was paid as a consultant for Song Sung Blue.

Hudson, for her part, told the outlet she spoke with Claire, 64, when making the film.

“I’m so happy that I got to know Claire, who’s such a wonderful woman,” she said. “And she’s so happy with the movie.”

Claire has publicly supported Song Sung Blue in interviews and attended the film’s New York City premiere.

“It’s been surreal,” Claire told local Wisconsin outlet WISN last month about the movie’s success at the box office. “It brings back a lot of memories: good, bad, indifferent, love story, music [and] Milwaukee.”

The Song Sung Blue premiere in the Big Apple was a family affair as Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell shined on the red carpet as they supported daughter Kate Hudson. Hudson, 46, was joined by mom Hawn, 80, and Hawn’s longtime partner, Russell, 74, at the New York City event honoring her musical film. Hudson […]

Jackman has not addressed Mike Jr.’s claims.

Song Sung Blue director Craig Brewer has said that his intention for the film was to honor Mike and Claire’s legacy.

“The great thing about making movies about musicians or artists is that they understand that it’s those darker elements, or those moments where there’s pain, that are truly the ingredients of great music and great art,” Brewer, 54, told Loud and Clear Reviews in December 2025. “[The family] supplied me with a lot of other details and stories that really informed me on the script I was writing, but also just on the day … to tackle certain scenes and deal with the emotions.”