Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nicknameJ.Hud,[1] is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having receivednumerous accolades for her work in music, film, television, and theater, Hudson became the youngest woman and third African-American recipient of all four major American entertainment awards:Emmy,Grammy,Oscar, andTony (EGOT) in 2022.[2] She was inducted into theHollywood Walk of Fame in 2013,[3] andTime named her one of the100 most influential people in the world in 2020.[4]
Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 inChicago, Illinois.[6][7] She is the third and youngest child ofDarnell Donerson[8] and Samuel Simpson, aGreyhound Lines bus driver.[9][10] She, her older sister Julia, a school bus driver, and her brotherJason Hudson, were raised primarily by their mother. Her father was absent from her childhood until, with the blessing of her mother, she went looking for him at age 14. When Hudson found her father, she learned that he had 26 other children. She has stated she has still not met all of her half-siblings.[11]
In January 2002, Hudson signed her first recording contract with Righteous Records, a Chicago-based independent record label.[19] She was released from her contract with Righteous Records so that she could appear onAmerican Idol in 2004.
Hudson auditioned for thethird season ofAmerican Idol inAtlanta. After commenting that she had been singing onDisney Cruise Lines (aboard theDisney Wonder) for the past few months as one of the Muses fromHercules, judgeRandy Jackson told her, "We're expecting more than a cruise ship performance from you."[20] Hudson received the highest number of votes in the "Top 9" after her performance ofElton John's "Circle of Life" on April 6, 2004, but two weeks later, she was eliminated during the "Top 7" show after performingBarry Manilow's, "Weekend in New England".[21][22] In May 2009,MTV listed Hudson as the sixth greatest contestant inAmerican Idol history and noted her exit was the most shocking of all time.[23] In May 2010, theLos Angeles Times claimed Hudson to be the third greatestIdol contestant in the history of the show, placing behind season one winnerKelly Clarkson and season four winnerCarrie Underwood respectively.[24]
In one of her first appearances on a record, Hudson is featured in a duet, "The Future Ain't What It Used to Be", onMeat Loaf'sBat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose. In September 2006, Hudson performed the song, "Over It", live onFox Chicago Morning News. In the interview she stated the song would be included on her debut album, to be released in early 2007; however, this was before she was signed to a record label.[25] In November 2006, Hudson signed a record deal with Arista Records.[26] Hudson also recorded a song she co-wrote withBill Grainer and Earl Powell called "Stand Up", which was available for preview on her fan website. The track was produced by Chicago natives Powell and Herman Little III, who also arranged the song.[27] The power-ballad would later become available on the deluxe edition of Hudson'sself-titled album as abonus track.
Hudson holding her Academy Award in 2007
In November 2005, Hudson was cast in the role ofEffie White for thefilm adaptation of the musicalDreamgirls, which also starredJamie Foxx,Beyoncé Knowles andEddie Murphy. The role marked Hudson's debut screen performance. She won the role over hundreds of professional singers and actresses, includingFantasia Barrino.[28] Filming ofDreamgirls began on January 9, 2006, and the film went into limited release on December 25, 2006, and national release on January 12, 2007. Hudson has won particular praise for her show-stopping onscreen rendition of the hit song, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going", the signature song of the role, which had earlier been recorded, and had already reached the status of musical standard, because of the definitive performance of Jennifer Holliday.The New York Observer described Hudson's performance of the song as "five mellifluous,molto vibrato minutes that have suddenly catapulted Ms. Hudson... into the position of front-runner for the best supporting actress Oscar".[29]Newsweek said that when moviegoers hear Hudson sing the song, she, "is going to raise goose bumps across the land."[30]Variety magazine wrote that Hudson's performance "calls to mind debuts likeBarbra Streisand inFunny Girl orBette Midler inThe Rose, with a voice like the young Aretha".[31] "Love You I Do" was nominated for the 2007Academy Award for Best Original Song and won the 2008Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.
As Effie White, Hudson has garnered 29 awards from film critics as Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performer of 2006. She won theGolden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. In addition, she has been named Best Supporting Actress by theBroadcast Film Critics Association and also by theScreen Actors Guild. After seeing Hudson's performance inDreamgirls, Simon Cowell taped a congratulatory message to her, which aired onThe Oprah Winfrey Show.[32] With the March 2007 issue, Jennifer Hudson became the third African-American celebrity and the first African-American singer to grace the cover ofVogue magazine.[33] On February 11, 2007, the60th British Academy Film Awards were held in London, but Hudson was not there to accept herBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The BAFTA Award went missing and Hudson did not receive her award until April 22, 2011, when it was presented to her on theGraham Norton Show.
On February 25, 2007, she won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film. Later in 2007, the mayor of her home town, Chicago,Richard M. Daley, declared March 6 as "Jennifer Hudson Day".[34][35] She was invited to join theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 18, along with 115 other individuals for 2007.[36][37]Entertainment Weekly put her performance on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Sure, Beyoncé's performance was great. And Eddie Murphy's was impressive. But there was really only one reason we all rushed to see 2006's Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's soul-to-the-rafters rendition of the classic 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going'. When she sang 'You're gonna love me,' it wasn't just a lyric — it was a fact."[38]
In May 2008, Hudson appeared in the feature filmSex and the City as Louise,Carrie Bradshaw's assistant. Filming finished in December 2007 and the movie was released on May 30, 2008.[39] In October 2008, Hudson appeared inThe Secret Life of Bees as Rosaleen. The film also received nineBlack Reel Awards nominations including three wins. Hudson was nominated for her performance in the film, but lost toQueen Latifah. The film also received eight nominations at the 2009NAACP Image Awards, including a nomination for Hudson for her performance.
In 2009, Hudson starred as Kathy Archenault inFragments, a film based on the novel by Roy Freirich, with Dakota Fanning andForest Whitaker. It was released on DVD on August 4, 2009. In 2010, Hudson started filming thebiopic filmWinnie Mandela[40] based on the South African politicianWinnie Mandela[40] starring alongsideTerrence Howard and directed byDarrell J. Roodt.[41] Andre Pieterse and Roodt and Paul L. Johnson based the film's script on Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob's biography,Winnie Mandela: A Life.[42] The Creative Workers Union of South Africa have opposed this choice, stating they will push for a moratorium on the film if the casting is not reversed.[43] Winnie Mandela has threatened legal action over this film, claiming she was not "consulted" about the film.[44]Winnie Mandela was originally scheduled to be released in December 2011; the trailer was released in 2010.[41]Image Entertainment released the film on September 6, 2013.[45][46]
In January 2008, Hudson returned to the studio to record new songs for her debut studio album. Her label was reportedly unhappy with the direction they were sending Hudson musically and decided it would be best to scrap the older songs and instead focus on new ones. Hudson worked withRyan Tedder andTimbaland on a number of songs. Her debut single, "Spotlight" was released on June 10, 2008, and became Hudson's first top 40 hit peaking at number 24 on theBillboard Hot 100 and became a top 20 hit in the United Kingdom and Turkey.Her debut studio album,Jennifer Hudson, was released on September 30, 2008, on Arista and was written byNe-Yo, who co-produced along withStargate. Additional contributors on the album include Timbaland,Missy Elliott,Robin Thicke,Harvey Mason, Jr.,Diane Warren, Earl Powell, andChristopher "Tricky" Stewart, among others.[47] The album debuted at number two on theBillboard 200 with 217,000 copies in the US and opened to positive reviews. As of August 2009, the album has sold 739,000 copies in the US, receiving a Gold certification for surpassing sales of 500,000. She has performed the song, "All Dressed in Love" for theSex and the City soundtrack, which was released on May 27, 2008.[48] Hudson performed the national anthem at the2008 Democratic National Convention.
The album's second single was to be released in October 2008, and was originally set to be "My Heart" before "If This Isn't Love" was chosen as the official second single. After three of her family members werebrutally murdered, the single was rescheduled for a January 2009 release. However, in January 2009, her label decided to postpone the release of the second single once more, choosing a February 2009 release date. After the release of "If This Isn't Love", the single eventually peaked at number 63 on theBillboard Hot 100 and number 37 on theUK Singles Chart. The third single was "Pocketbook" featuringLudacris in April 2009, for a June 2009 release, despite speculation that the third single would be "My Heart" after it was canceled as the second single. In May 2009, "Pocketbook" was canceled as the third single due to negative reception from fans and critics alike. The third single was then rescheduled as "Giving Myself" and was released on June 2, 2009, to the US. Her debut album garnered Hudson three nominations at the2009 Grammy Awards:Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Spotlight",Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "I'm His Only Woman" withFantasia Barrino, andBest R&B Album forJennifer Hudson. She won the last of these and performed at the awards ceremony.[49]
In February 2009, Hudson made her first public appearance since the murders when she sang theStar-Spangled Banner atSuper Bowl XLIII.[50][51][52] She toured the United States withRobin Thicke in 2009.[53] In early May 2009, Hudson suffered "throat fatigue" and had to reschedule her May 16–19, 2009, tour dates.[54] She sang "Will You Be There" at theMichael Jackson memorial service in July 2009.[55] Hudson recorded "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)", originally byGladys Knight & the Pips, forAmerican Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics — the officialAmerican Idol album for the third season. She is featured on Ne-Yo's second album,Because of You, on the track, "Leaving Tonight". Hudson performed a Christmas special in December 2009 calledJennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas. During the special, she relived her childhood Christmases with musical performances filmed at her favorite locations in her native Chicago. Hudson also visited family members, friends and other childhood influences during the broadcast.[56] On January 22, 2010, Hudson appeared on the telethon "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief", performing the Beatles' "Let it Be". The telecast generated $61 million in donations as of January 26, 2010[update].[57] Also, that year, Hudson recorded the song "One Shining Moment" for the2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
In 2010, Hudson became the spokesperson forWeight Watchers.[58][59] That year, she had lost 56 pounds (25 kg) and "[did] not want to lose any more weight."[60] However, on February 10, 2011, she appeared onThe Oprah Winfrey Show and revealed she had lost a total of 80 pounds.[61] Her 2012 autobiography,I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, detailed her weight loss.[62][63][64]
Early in the albumI Remember Me's development, Ne-Yo toldE! Online that Hudson was ready to get personal on her second studio album and that he might be producing the album. He said "She's gone through a lot over the last year, so she has a lot to talk about", he continues. "She's definitely gotten stronger. The things that she's gone through and for her to still be upbeat and happy, it's amazing."[65] Hudson released her second studio albumI Remember Me on March 22, 2011. It debuted at number two on theBillboard 200 selling 165,000 copies in its first week of release.[66]
Hudson in 2012
On January 24, 2011, Hudson premiered the album's lead single "Where You At".[67] It was written byR. Kelly and produced byHarvey Mason, Jr.[68] The song went for radio adds that same week.[69] On February 3, 2011, due to radio adds the single made its debut on the USBillboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at number 53,[70][clarification needed] having so far reached a peak of number 10.[71] The music video premiered onBET's106 & Park and throughVevo in February 2011.[72][73] "No One Gonna Love You" impacted onUrban adult contemporary radio in the United States in May 2011. A remix bundle, "No One Gonna Love You-The Remixes", was released as a digital download in the US and the UK in July 2011.[74][75][76] The song has reached number 23 on theHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[77] The third US single will be "I Got This".[78] The non-single track "Don't Look Down" reached number 70 on the USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[79]
Hudson's third studio album,JHUD, was released on September 23, 2014. Hudson described the album as more "upbeat" than her previous material. She worked withTimbaland,Pharrell Williams,RedOne,Iggy Azalea andR. Kelly among others. RedOne said about the material: "It's not dance dance, but it's soulful dance. It's very '70s kinda style".[87] Hudson stated: "What we're doing feels so right that I never want to go home (from the studio). My sister and my manager will be sleeping on the couch while we work until 4 or 5am".[88]
Hudson confirmed that a song on the album will be "It's Your World" and features R. Kelly, in an interview withJonathan Ross onThe Jonathan Ross Show. The track went on to be nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance at the 2015 Grammy Awards. On June 20, she released the music video for "Walk it Out" featuring Timbaland, which is the first single off her upcoming album. Her third album,JHUD, would include "different expressions of [Hudson] as an artist, a girl, [and] a music lover".[89]
2015–2016:The Color Purple,Hairspray Live, andSing
Later in 2015, Hudson guest-starred as Michelle White, a minor semi-recurring character in the first season ofEmpire. She sang three songs on the show, "Remember the Music", "Whatever Makes You Happy", and "For My God".
Hudson helped welcomePope Francis on his first visit to the United States by singing her rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".[93]
In fall 2015, Hudson made her Broadway debut as Shug Avery in the Broadway revival ofThe Color Purple, alongsideCynthia Erivo andDanielle Brooks.New York Times critic Ben Brantley hailed her performance saying, "Ms. Hudson radiates a lush, supple stage presence that is echoed by her velvet voice."[94] Hudson later picked up her second career Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album (2017) for her work onThe Color Purple."[95]
In June 2016, Hudson performedPrince's "Purple Rain", on the BET Awards, which she had previously sung onstage with the cast ofThe Color Purple,[96] the day Prince died.[97]
On June 28, 2016, Hudson signed withEpic Records.L.A. Reid andClive Davis are joining forces for the first time sinceWhitney Houston'sThe Bodyguard soundtrack 25 years ago. "Jennifer Hudson is the defining voice of this generation", said Reid. "Her award-winning presence on records, in film and on stage establishes her as one of the premiere artists to emerge in this century." Davis says: "I signed Jennifer in 2007 believing her to be the strongest candidate as the next generation'sAretha Franklin and Whitney. She has become that, as LA and I excitingly reunite to capture Jennifer at her all-time best."[98]
In December 2016, Hudson played scene-stealer Motormouth Maybelle in NBC'sHairspray Live!. Her version of the Civil Rights-themed ballad "I Know Where I've Been", blew audiences away, garnering Emmy buzz from fans and critics alike.[99] During the credit sequence, Hudson duets with costarAriana Grande on Shaiman and Wittman's "Come So Far".
Hudson lent her voice to the younger version of the character Nana Noodleman in the Illumination Entertainment film,Sing, which was released December 21, 2016. In the film, she sangThe Beatles' classic, "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight", which was the recurring musical theme of the film. On the deluxe soundtrack, Hudson sings with Tori Kelly on a duet version ofLeonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".[100]
2017–2020:Sandy Wexler,The Voice,Cats, and new music
Hudson starred as singer Courtney Clarke in the film,Sandy Wexler, which premiered in April 2017.[101] In early 2017, Hudson debuted inThe Voice franchise as a coach on thesixth season ofThe Voice UK.[102] She won the season with her actMo Adeniran and became the first female coach to win the show. Hudson had joined the American version ofThe Voice as a coach for itsthirteenth season.[103] Hudson released "Remember Me" on March 3, 2017. On December 12, 2017, she released another new song, "Burden Down". The same day, Hudson performed "Remember Me" live for the first time on the semi-final result night ofThe Voice. Later, a music video for the single was also released.[104]
Hudson returned for her second series as a coach toThe Voice UK; her second series premiered on January 6, 2018, and concluded on April 7, where Hudson's finalist Belle Voci finished third. On January 27, 2018, Clive Davis disclosed that Hudson had been handpicked byAretha Franklin to portray her in an eventualbiopic with a prospective release date in 2021.[105] She performed with the D.C. Choir at theMarch for Our Lives anti-gun violence rally in Washington, D.C., on March 24, 2018.[106][107] Hudson returned as a coach for thefifteenth season of the American version ofThe Voice after taking a one-season hiatus.[108] Her final act, Kennedy Holmes, finished in fourth place overall. Hudson returned forThe Voice UK'seighth series.[109] In 2018, Hudson was cast as theCats characterGrizabella in thefilm adaptation, which was released in 2019.[110] In March 2020, Hudson collaborated withBono,Will.i.am, andYoshiki to create "#SING4LIFE", a song written and compiled remotely by the four musicians to lift spirits during theCOVID-19 crisis.[111]
2021–present:Respect, EGOT, talk show,The Gift of Love
In September 2021, Hudson won aDaytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program for being an executive producer forBaba Yaga, a 27-minute interactive fairytale story made forOculus Quest.[122]
In February 2022, Jennifer Hudson was one of the night's major winners at the 2022 NAACP Image Awards. She won the Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in the filmRespect.[123] In May 2022, Hudson received a nomination for theTony Award for Best Musical for serving as a producer for the Broadway musical,A Strange Loop.[124] On June 12, 2022, Hudson became one of seventeen people to have wonan Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony ("an EGOT") at the75th Tony Awards.[125] She appeared in the 2022 filmTell It Like a Woman and starred in the 2024 science fiction thrillerBreathe.[126][127]
Hudson's syndicated talk show,The Jennifer Hudson Show, launched on September 12, 2022.[128] On October 18, 2024, Hudson released her fourth studio album,The Gift of Love and toured the United States withThe Gift of Love: An Intimate Live Experience.[129][130]
Hudson began dating James Payton in 1999, when she was 18.[131] They separated in late 2007.
Hudson later metDavid Otunga, aprofessional wrestler in theWWE and a Harvard Law graduate,[132] and the couple became engaged in September 2008.[133] In August 2009, Hudson gave birth to her first child, son David Daniel Otunga Jr.[134] In November 2017, Hudson's representative announced that Hudson and Otunga had separated after over 10 years together.[135][136]
On October 24, 2008, Hudson's 57-year-old mother Darnell Donerson and 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson were foundshot to death inside the Chicago home Donerson shared with Hudson's older sister, Julia.[137] AnAmber alert was issued for her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, when Julia reported him missing.[138][139] Three days later theFederal Bureau of Investigation confirmed a body found on Chicago's West Side was the nephew; an autopsy indicated he had died from "multiple gunshot wounds".[140] Police charged William Balfour, Julia's estranged 27-year-old husband, with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion.[141] Convicted on all seven counts against him,[142] in July 2012, he was sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole (to be served consecutively), followed by an additional 120 years for his other convictions.[143][144] Hudson's family created The Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims, in honor of the three victims.[145] Hudson and her sister created the Julian D. King Gift Foundation in honor of her nephew. It provides Christmas presents and school supplies to families in need in theChicago area.[146]
Hudson has been described as a friend of former PresidentBarack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills during his first term in May 2009.[147] She also performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event.[148]
In 2022, while working together on their filmBreathe, Hudson began dating rapper and fellow Chicago native,Common. The pair confirmed their relationship with a joint appearance onThe Jennifer Hudson Show in January 2024. When discussing their romance, Common stated: "I'm in a relationship that is with one of the most beautiful people I've met in life." He added: "She's smart, she loves God, she has something real down to Earth about her. She's talented."[151]
^May 21, 2009, The 10 Greatest 'American Idol' Contestants Of All Time: Latest champ Kris Allen didn't make our list, but you might be surprised by who did. James Montgomery,MTV.[1]
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