Between the constant body-shaming, a tumultuous custody battle, and the unimaginable loss
of three members of her family, this Oscar and Grammy-winner has been through a lot.
This is Jennifer Hudson's tragic real-life story.
A controversial start
Jennifer Hudson first stepped into the limelight on the third season of American Idol in 2004
— immediately becoming a fan favorite.
"You're here cuz you think you're the next American Idol.
Yes, I do.
You think you're the best that we can find in America.
Yes."
But the then 22-year-old's reality TV journey would soon be marred by controversy, when
she was shockingly voted off after reaching the Top 7.
Celebrity mentor Elton John was so taken aback that he publicly denounced the elimination
as quote, "incredibly racist" while others believed a power outage in Chicago may have
been to blame.
"I was just out the other day, and this lady was like, oh you won the show, and I was like
ma'am, I didn't win the show, and she was like oh yes you did, and I was like no I was
seventh place."
At the time, Hudson didn't mince words about her feelings towards the elimination drama,
telling MTV,
"I don't think it was based on talent, but if it was, I was robbed."
Unbelievable tragedy
It didn't take long for Hudson to bounce back from her controversial Idol loss.
In 2006 she appeared opposite Beyoncé in Dreamgirls — even taking home the Oscar
for Best Supporting Actress — but her bliss was short-lived.
In 2008, she and her family suffered unbelievable tragedy when her mother, Darnell Donerson,
her brother, Jason Hudson, and her seven-year-old nephew, Julian King, were brutally murdered
in cold blood by her brother-in-law, William Balfour.
"It literally…takes a part of you."
In 2012, the singer had the difficult task of testifying in court against her family's
killer.
According to CNN, while remembering her family, Hudson reportedly quote, "broke down in tears
several times on the stand."
Hudson revealed,
"None of us wanted [my sister Julia] to marry him.
We did not like how he treated her.
Where he was, I tried not to be."
"It made my skin crawl."
Hudson also confirmed that she was the one who identified the bodies of her mother, brother,
and nephew for authorities.
In 2014, Hudson told The Guardian that the memory of her mother was still with her, saying,
"In many ways the trial was the most dreadful part of it all.
I know my mother would not have wanted us to miss a beat, so we were there every day.
[…] That is what you do for your family, so that is what we did."
"I can't come back here empty handed.
I came back with justice being served."
Balfour was given three life sentences for the three murders, plus an extra 120 years,
for additional offenses, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Testing her faith
Having grown up in her local church, Hudson turned to her faith to endure her grief.
However, in 2014 she admitted to The Guardian that she was certainly tested, saying,
"We always said: 'If He brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
[…] My mother always told me no matter how negative your life seems to be, you must always
look for a positive.
That is what I believe a woman of faith should do."
By 2015, Hudson told Glamour that her resolve was still being tested, admitting that anger
can easily creep up to the surface.
She said,
"You never know how much you can get through until you're going through it."
A bitter custody battle
In 2009, just one year after the tragic killing of her family, Hudson had her first child,
David, with fiancé David Otunga.
She soon found solace in her baby boy, and credited him with helping her work through
her pain, telling Glamour,
"I went from being an aunt, having a mom, and being a child to not having a mom, becoming
a mom, and raising my own child.
I tell David all the time, 'You saved my life.'"
"Is there going to be a wedding soon?
There is a wedding date."
Sadly, Hudson and Otunga split in 2017, and a bitter court battle ensued.
The separation marked another low point in the singer's life, as the couple, who had
gotten engaged in 2008 but never married, duked it out in a drawn-out custody battle
that lasted nearly two years.
In November 2017, Jennifer's rep revealed to Us Weekly that Jennifer had received a
protective order against her ex.
Jennifer and David didn't reach an agreement until July 2019, according to the Chicago
Tribune.
The buzz about her weight
Body shaming is nothing new in Hollywood and Hudson has had to deal with it throughout
most of her career.
As the Mirror noted, as soon as she hit the public eye, she was slammed with shamers calling
on her to slim down.
Then in 2010, Hudson teamed up with Weight Watchers and lost an estimated 80 pounds.
"When you think about it, you think yourself out of it.
So I don't think about it.
I just say Jennifer get up and go."
But the conversation about her weight just wouldn't stop.
She told Redbook in 2012,
"I'm at the weight I want to be, but I hear all the time, 'Don't lose any more weight,
you need to stop.'"
By 2017, she revealed little had changed, telling the Mirror,
"I still get judged for my looks.
[…] When people say, 'Oh, you look great', I'm like, 'Did you not hear what just came
out of my mouth?
Why are we talking about how I look?'
All I care about is singing."
"Whatever else is like I say I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."
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