Kate Hudson & Hugh Jackman Are Being Dragged for a Messy 'Song Sung Blue' Family Rift: ‘My Father’s Rolling in His Grave’

“My father’s rolling in his grave right now.”

That’s how Michael “Mike” Sardina Jr. describes his reaction to Song Sung Blue, the new Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson film based on his family — a movie he now says has “completely destroyed the one thing my father worked his entire life to pass on – his legacy.” The 41-year-old is considering legal action against the production company and distributors and claims the film’s version of events is so off-base, it feels like a betrayal.

Song Sung Blue, adapted from Greg Kohs’ 2008 documentary, follows Milwaukee Neil Diamond tribute performers Mike and Claire Sardina (aka Lightning & Thunder). Jackman and Hudson portray the couple in a dramatized retelling that spans Claire’s accident and the years after — and Mike Jr. says that version gets key parts of their story wrong.

According to Mike Jr., who spoke with Daily Mail on Dec. 29, he was hired as a consultant for what he calls “a pathetic $30,000,” alongside his sister, Angelina, whose on-screen counterpart is played by singer-songwriter King Princess. He claims his “existence was purposely cut out of the film,” even though he says he was “the most prevalent force in my father’s life… because I’m his only son.” Angelina’s contract reportedly allowed for a fictionalized version of her story and did not guarantee contact with the cast — something she now says never happened.

“I didn’t have any contact with Kate Hudson or Hugh Jackman, anyone from the cast,” Angelina said. Text messages she shared with producer John Fox show her frustration over limited input, with Fox calling it “not the most ideal situation,” even as the contract stated there was no obligation to consult her beyond the fee.

Things reportedly came to a head at the New York City premiere on Dec. 11, where Mike Jr. says he and Angelina were invited on the condition that he “keep away from any of the stars and reporters.” Meanwhile, their stepmother Claire and her children Dayna and Rachel posed for photos with Jackman and Hudson — a split that has only deepened the family rift. Mike Jr. says he ignored those alleged instructions, walked “right up to Kate Hudson,” introduced himself, and later blasted both leads as “monsters” for failing to acknowledge him in interviews. “Every interview… [they] don’t even mention my existence at all,” he said. “They didn’t even try to contact me… [or] get more information.”

Beyond his own absence from the script, Mike Jr. says the film downplays what he describes as an “extremely violent” household, alleged drug use, and the years after Claire’s accident. Angelina said “the only thing that was true is the love between my dad and Claire,” adding, “It’s a beautiful story, but that’s not how it went down… it’s a lie.”

Director Craig Brewer appeared to concede some gaps in texts to Angelina, writing there was “so much” he “didn’t get… accurate” and that he was “just trying to take care of Mike’s kids,” even as Mike Jr. says he still feels erased.

All of this is unfolding while Song Sung Blue’s rollout — and Jackman’s personal life — are already under a microscope. In one recent report, insiders claimed Sutton Foster is “keeping one eye open” as Jackman and Hudson have allegedly grown “incredibly close” around the film, following longstanding rumors that Jackman and Foster’s relationship began as an affair during The Music Man and contributed to his split from Deborra-Lee Furness. A viral Gotham Awards PDA clip drew fresh #TeamDeb backlash online, and a separate story suggested Jackman’s romance with Foster may even be testing his long-running friendship with Ryan Reynolds.

While Hudson’s performance as Claire has already earned her a Golden Globes nomination, the real-life Sardina siblings say they’re still fighting to make sure their version of the story is heard — even as the film pushes deeper into awards season.

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