Kate Hudson Says She Could Smell Matthew McConaughey On Set

Matthew McConaughey’s well-documented distaste for deodorant certainly left an impression on his Fool’s Gold co-star Kate Hudson.

Appearing on Watch What Happens Live on Wednesday, Kate dismissed the long-standing rumour that she “forced” the Oscar winner to wear deodorant while working with him on the 2008 romantic comedy, much of which was filmed in Australia and the Caribbean.

“He doesn’t wear deodorant — and by the way, I don’t either,” she said, though it wasn’t clear if the latter part was a joke.

Directed by Andy Tennant, Fool’s Gold follows a recently divorced couple, who rekindle their relationship while on an expedition for lost treasure.

The movie wasn’t as acclaimed as the 2005 rom-com How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, in which the dup also starred, but it was nonetheless a hit at the box office. 

On Watch What Happens Live, Kate acknowledged being able to smell Matthew “from a mile [away]” while on the “Fool’s Gold” set. 

“We’re au naturel,” she quipped.

Matthew spoke out against odor-masking products in a 2005 interview with People, when the magazine named him the “Sexiest Man Alive”.

“I haven’t worn deodorant in 20 years,” he claimed, arguing that a man should smell like “a man.”

Speaking to Playboy shortly before the release of Fool’s Gold, Matthew claimed  that Kate had gifted him a type of natural deodorant as they were filming the movie – but he “just never wore it”.

“The women in my life, including my mother, have all said, ‘Hey, your natural smell smells, one, like a man, and, two, smells like you,’” he said.  

Among those who’ve defended Matthew’s personal hygiene choice is his Tropic Thunder co-star Yvette Nicole Brown. 

“He did not have an odor,” she said in an interview with SiriusXM’s Jess Cagle in 2021. “He smells like granola and good living. That’s all I can say. He has a sweet, sweet scent that is just him, and it’s not musty or crazy.”