The difficult story of Jennifer Hudson in photos

The Jennifer Hudson Show

Jennifer Hudson continues to expand and develop projects with her production company, Jhud Productions. Her daytime talk show, 'The Jennifer Hudson Show,' is on its way to its fourth season.

JHud productions

Jennifer Hudson's own show began in September 2022. It features everything from celebrity interviews to viral sensations and music. The show is just another demonstration that Hudson can do anything, despite tragedy having tainted her past.

An icon

Jennifer Hudson is an icon for many. The actress comes from humble beginnings and has overcome many challenges to get to where she is today. She is an inspiration for many, thanks to her dedication, work ethic, and magical ability to light up a room.

A dreamgirl

Her powerful, flawless voice has gained her the utmost respect in the entertainment industry. In every sense, Jennifer Hudson is a ‘Dreamgirl’ with a voice that had audiences on their feet at the premiere. But it hasn’t been all dreams for this actress as we take a look at her harrowing journey.

‘This girl is going to be a singer’

Jennifer was born in in 1981, the youngest of three children. The smallest, but with the biggest voice. The ‘Cats’ star remembers, "The story goes that I sat on my godmother's lap at church during a choir rehearsal, and when she couldn't hit the right note, I sang it for her. She told my mother, 'This girl is going to be a singer'."

The church

The church was always a point of reference for the young singer, and she sang in her Chicago church choir. She performed at wedding receptions and in local talent shows, as well as finding her own place in the world of musical theatre. But it wasn’t immediate stardom.

Burger King

Yes, everyone needs to earn a dollar, and this singer, before all the glitz and glam, did a stint working at Burger King.

First professional job

Hudson’s first professional singing job was on a Disney cruise ship. She performed in the ship’s entertainment as the Greek muse, Calliope, from the hit musical production 'Hercules: The Musical.'

'More than a cruise ship performance'

Jennifer decided not to renew her contract with Disney and have a shot at the third season 'American Idol' in 2004. Judge Randy Jackson told her, "We're expecting more than a cruise ship performance from you.” And she delivered.

American Idol: a controversial elimination

Regarded as one of the most shocking eliminations ever from the TV show, Hudson was eliminated in 7th place. She was placed in the bottom three in a group of all African-American women, which raised some eyebrows at the time. She had, however, already made her mark on the world.

Jennifer Hudson in 'Dreamgirls'

780 shortlisted competitors were belting it out to win the role of Effie White in 'Dreamgirls,' and Hudson beat them all to it. It was a gruelling six months of auditions, but the hard work paid off - professionally, at least - and Hudson’s efforts were beginning to pay off.

Hudson day

The mayor of her hometown in Chicago declared March 6th as ‘Jennifer Hudson Day’ in 2007. She was on a fastback to stardom and even received her own star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

2007 kept getting better and better

The same year, Jennifer became the first African-American singer to appear on the front cover of Vogue Magazine. She was only the third African-American woman ever to grace the front page of this legendary magazine.

Her BAFTA got lost in the mail

The same year, she had a little professional hiccup. Her BAFTA award went missing. She wasn’t there to receive the award for ‘Best Supporting Actress’, and it seemed to have gotten lost in the post. She finally received the award four years later on ‘The Graham Norton Show’.

2008 started exceedingly well

Hudson soared at the beginning of 2008, not knowing what would await her at the end of this fateful year. She released her much-anticipated debut album, sang the national anthem for Barack Obama, and returned to the screen.

Jennifer Hudson in 'Sex and the City'

Hudson played Louise, Carrie Bradshaw’s assistant. It was more to the actress than just appearing in a huge franchise - she would be the first featured African-American to have appeared in the show’s yen years. She said, “I hope I represent us well.”

The Secret Life of Bees - worth fighting for

Alongside Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, and Alicia Keys, Hudson joined this star-studded cast as Rosaleen. Again, there was a strong emotional focus on race relations that shocked Hudson to the core. “One of the reasons I can relate to Rosaleen is because there are some things in life worth fighting for. I’ve known what it’s like to be the underdog and that’s how my character felt in that moment,” the actress explained.

Tragedy fell

Despite the race controversy Hudson was battling, she worked hard, sang hard, and had worldwide appreciation for her work. But the end of 2008 would bring sadness and heartbreak for the singer in a horrific tragedy that saw her family murdered.

The murder of her family members

On October 24th, 2008, Hudson’s 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donerson, and her 29-year-old brother were shot and killed at the home of her sister, Julia. Darnell had often been seen out supporting her daughter at public events, and the story was unfathomable, but the ugliest discovery was yet to come.

R.I.P. Julian King, Hudson's 7 year old nephew

Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was nowhere to be found. He was discovered dead three days later in the back seat of an SUV parked on the West Side of the city. He had also been shot ‘multiple times’.

Shot in cold blood

A gun was found close to the SUV, which was later linked to all of the shootings, and William Balfour was to blame.

Balfour, the estranged ex-husban

William Balfour was the estranged husband of Jennifer’s sister, Julia. It was reported in the court records that he had threatened to kill members of Hudson’s family on at least two dozen occasions before the murders. They started when Julia broke up with her husband and moved out of the family home.

Horror for the family

The Assistant State Attorney, James McKay, reported that Balfour had told Julia, "If you ever leave me, I'm going to kill you, but I'm going to kill your family first. You will be the last to die.” Hudson’s family had, for a long time, been shrouded in horror.

The case against Balfour

Balfour pleaded not guilty, saying, "My deepest prayers go out to Julia King. I loved her. I still love her. I'm innocent your honor.” But he was eventually found guilty by the jury of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion.

"Your soul is barren"

Balfour faced three mandatory life sentences without parole, followed by an additional 120 years for his previous convictions. "You have the heart of an arctic night," Judge Burns told Balfour at his sentencing hearing. "Your soul is as barren as dark space.”

Closure: a foundation for families of slain victims

Was the sentence at least some justice for the horror Jennifer and her family went through? Although this ordeal would never end for Jennifer, the family created the Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims. She also founded the Julian D King Gift Foundation in honour of her nephew, along with her sister, Julia. The foundation provides families most in need with school supplies and Christmas presents.

Tribute to her murdered family

Hudson tearfully accepted her Grammy Award for best Rhythm and Blues album in February 2009 as she paid tribute to her family, who were murdered in cold blood. She said, “I would like to thank God who pulled me through and my family: those who are in heaven and those who are here today.”

2009 brought light

Jennifer Hudson got engaged to David Otunga, a professional wrestler and Harvard Law graduate, in September 2008, just a month before the shooting. But Hudson was to see a beautiful light at the end of the dark tunnel when they welcomed their first child, her son, David Daniel Otunga Jr., in 2009.

Personally getting back on track

Weight Watchers allowed Hudson to shed around 80 pounds, and she became a spokeswoman for the brand. She said she felt better than ever, but it had been a long weight-loss struggle for the singer. She documented her struggles in the book, ‘I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down’ (2012).

Her weight loss

"I don't really have time to do much [working out], so I really just watch what I eat," she said. "I'm very careful and cautious of what I'm eating, so I just try to pace those meals throughout the day."

Professionally back in the game

In 2015, Hudson made her Broadway debut in ‘The Color Purple’ and, along with the resulting soundtrack album, received worldwide critical acclaim for her portrayal of the blues singer, Shrug Avery.

The sadness didn’t stop for Hudson

In November 2017, it was announced that Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga had split up. Although Hudson credited Otunga with saving her life, claiming that if she hadn’t flown to Florida to be with him, she would have been at home with her mom in Chicago on the day of the murders; Jennifer and Ortunga ended their relationship with Hudson claiming he had shown volatile and aggressive behaviour towards her and their son.

Hudson’s child in the middle

David Jr. flitted between both his parents for the next two years, while the couple got ugly in court over the custody of their son. They didn’t reach an agreement for years, but finally, in 2019, an agreement was reached. Both signed a gag order, meaning the details of the agreement will not be shared publicly.

The Voice

Jennifer Hudson continued with her TV career and, despite the custody battle raging at the time, she became a coach on The Voice UK and the American version of the show in both 2017 and 2018.

A feline flop

Her 2020 film, Cats, didn’t receive such widespread recognition as her previous roles; however, this was mainly down to the production of the film rather than her own performance.

But then... Respect

Jennifer Hudson gained a great deal of respect from her wonderful performance as Aretha Franklin in 2021's 'Respect'. The film had been decades in planning and follows the gospel star from her young church days to her 1972 'Amazing Grace' album, which was Franklin’s highest-selling album ever.

Picked by Franklin

Aretha Franklin died in 2018, but before she did, she handpicked Jennifer Hudson to star as herself in this biopic. Hudson had initially met Aretha in 2004 and paid huge tribute to the star upon her death singing ‘Amazing Grace’ at the legend’s funeral.

Becoming Aretha

Jennifer Hudson was initially nervous about the role: “You just can’t wake up one morning and decide ‘I’m gonna be Aretha Franklin,’” said Hudson. “I mean, her voice. Her legacy. The songs. Who she is to all of us. It was daunting. There were times when I was like, ‘Jennifer, what have you done?’”

The singer has already received respect

Despite the tough boots to fill in the role of Aretha, there was no doubt Jennifer could pull it off. She is no stranger to creating complex characters and receiving awards for her portrayal.

Awards

She not only received an Academy Award for her role as Effie White (Dreamgirls) but also a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA, and the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for entertainer of the year.