Oliver’s difficult connection with Bill became public in 2015 after he posted a contentious Father’s Day message on social media. He posted a flashback photo of himself, Kate, and Bill with the caption: “Happy abandonment day… @katehudson.”

Bill, enraged by the article, stated his displeasure in an interview, stating, “Oliver could have picked up the phone and contacted me, but he didn’t. This was definitely calculated; he picked the photos and posted it on Father’s Day knowing it would inflict the most anguish.”

Bill went on to say that if Oliver intended to shut him out of their life, he was successful. The backlash intensified when Kate followed Oliver’s lead and tweeted her own homage to Kurt, adding to the tension.

Kate spoke on Howard Stern’s show, discussing how Kurt was the parent who was present at difficult and trying times. In reaction, Bill told the Daily Mail, “I would ask them to stop using the Hudson name [because] they are no longer a part of my life.”

He said, “Oliver’s Instagram post was a wicked, violent, calculated attack; he is dead to me now, as is Kate. I lament their loss even if they are still alive.” Bill then chose to take all Kate and Oliver’s childhood keepsakes from his house, according to the Daily Mail.

Despite the disconnect between Bill and his elder children, Kurt has accepted his role as grandfather to Kate and Oliver’s children.

While Bill still harbors bitterness, Kate and Oliver have moved on, focusing on the familial relationships they’ve formed with their stepfather, Kurt.