Jennifer Hudson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jennifer Hudson
Hudson in 2018
Born	Jennifer Kate Hudson (1981-09-12) September 12, 1981 (age 44) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Other names	J.Hud
Education	Langston University Kennedy-King College
Occupation	Singer actress producer television presenter
Years active	2004–present
Works	Discography filmography
Partner(s)	James Payton (1999–2007) David Otunga (2007–2017) Common (2022–present)
Children	1
Parent(s)	Darnell Donerson (mother)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	R&B soul gospel
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Arista J RCA Epic Interscope

Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known as J.Hud, is a talented American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. She has won many awards for her work in music, movies, TV, and theater. In 2022, Jennifer Hudson became the youngest woman and third African-American to win all four major American entertainment awards: an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. This special achievement is known as an EGOT. In 2013, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Time magazine recognized her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.

Jennifer Hudson first became famous in 2004. She was a finalist on the third season of the TV show American Idol, where she finished in seventh place. After American Idol, she signed with Arista Records. Her first album, Jennifer Hudson, came out in 2008. It reached number two on the Billboard 200 chart and won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Her next albums, I Remember Me (2011) and JHUD (2014), also made it into the top ten on the Billboard 200. Her fourth album, The Gift of Love, was released in 2024.

Her first movie role was playing Effie White in the musical film Dreamgirls (2006). For this role, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was the youngest African-American to receive this award. She also played the legendary singer Aretha Franklin in the movie Respect (2021). Jennifer Hudson has appeared in many other films and TV shows. On stage, she performed in the Broadway musical The Color Purple (2015). She also won a Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for A Strange Loop in 2022. From 2017 to 2019, Hudson was a coach on The Voice in both the UK and US. In 2022, her own talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, began airing.

Jennifer Hudson's Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Jennifer Hudson was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 12, 1981. She is the youngest of three children. Her mother, Darnell Donerson, raised Jennifer and her older siblings, Julia and Jason.

She grew up in the Englewood area of Chicago. Jennifer graduated from Dunbar Vocational High School in 1999. She often talks about how singers like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Patti LaBelle inspired her. She also looks up to Mariah Carey as a musical hero. Jennifer started singing at age 7 in her church choir. She also performed in community theater with the help of her grandmother. She briefly attended Langston University before transferring to Kennedy–King College.

In 2002, Jennifer signed her first music contract with an independent record label. However, she was released from this contract so she could try out for American Idol in 2004.

Rising to Fame on American Idol

Jennifer Hudson auditioned for the third season of American Idol in Atlanta. During her audition, she mentioned singing on Disney Cruise Lines. Judge Randy Jackson challenged her to deliver more than a "cruise ship performance."

Jennifer quickly became a fan favorite. She received the most votes in the "Top 9" week after singing Elton John's "Circle of Life." However, she was eliminated two weeks later during the "Top 7" show. Even though she didn't win, her exit was a big surprise to many. MTV later called her one of the greatest contestants in American Idol history. The Los Angeles Times also ranked her as one of the top Idol contestants ever.

Dreamgirls and Becoming a Movie Star

Jennifer Hudson made her first big movie appearance in 2006. She was chosen for the role of Effie White in the film version of the musical Dreamgirls. She won the part over many other singers and actresses. The movie also starred famous actors like Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles, and Eddie Murphy.

Her performance in Dreamgirls was amazing, especially when she sang the powerful song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." Critics praised her performance, comparing her debut to those of legendary singers. The song "Love You I Do" from the movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Jennifer Hudson received many awards for her role as Effie White. She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She also won the Best Supporting Actress award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Screen Actors Guild. In March 2007, she became the first African-American singer to be on the cover of Vogue magazine.

On February 25, 2007, Jennifer won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls. This was a huge achievement! Her hometown of Chicago even declared March 6 as "Jennifer Hudson Day."

Music and Movies: A Busy Time

In May 2008, Jennifer Hudson appeared in the movie Sex and the City. She played Louise, the assistant to the main character. Later that year, she starred in The Secret Life of Bees as Rosaleen. This film also received several award nominations. In 2009, she acted in Winged Creatures alongside Dakota Fanning and Forest Whitaker.

Jennifer also took on the role of Winnie Mandela in the 2011 biopic film Winnie Mandela. This movie told the story of the South African politician.

In January 2008, Jennifer returned to the music studio. Her debut single, "Spotlight", was released in June 2008. It became a top 40 hit in the US and a top 20 hit in the UK. Her first album, Jennifer Hudson, came out on September 30, 2008. It featured songs written by Ne-Yo and other talented artists. The album was very successful, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. It later earned a Gold certification for selling over 500,000 copies.

Jennifer performed the national anthem at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. After facing a difficult family tragedy, Jennifer made her first public appearance in February 2009. She sang the Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XLIII, showing incredible strength. Her debut album received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards. She won the Grammy for Best R&B Album and performed at the ceremony. In July 2009, she sang "Will You Be There" at the Michael Jackson memorial service. She also performed in a Christmas TV special called Jennifer Hudson: I'll Be Home for Christmas in December 2009.

Health Journey and New Music

In 2010, Jennifer Hudson became a spokesperson for Weight Watchers. She shared her journey of losing weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle. She revealed she had lost a total of 80 pounds. Her 2012 autobiography, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down, shared details about her weight loss.

Jennifer released her second album, I Remember Me, on March 22, 2011. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The lead single from the album was "Where You At."

More Films, TV, and Awards

In 2012, Jennifer Hudson played a nun in The Three Stooges film. She paid tribute to Whitney Houston by singing "I Will Always Love You" at the 2012 Grammy Awards. She also sang "America the Beautiful" with the Sandy Hook Elementary School chorus at Super Bowl XLVII. In 2013, Jennifer performed at the 85th Academy Awards to honor musical films.

On September 21, 2013, she released a new single, "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)". This song featured T.I. and was produced by Pharrell Williams. In October 2013, Jennifer starred in the drama The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete and the musical Black Nativity. On November 13, 2013, Jennifer Hudson received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Her third album, JHUD, was released on September 23, 2014. Jennifer described this album as more "upbeat" than her previous work. She collaborated with artists like Timbaland and Pharrell Williams. The song "It's Your World" from the album was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Broadway Debut and The Voice

At the 87th Academy Awards, Jennifer Hudson performed "I Can't Let Go" as a tribute to those Hollywood had lost. In February 2015, she collaborated with Iggy Azalea on the song "Trouble." They performed the song together on several TV shows.

Later in 2015, Jennifer appeared as Michelle White in the first season of the TV show Empire. She sang three songs on the show. She also helped welcome Pope Francis to the United States by singing "Hallelujah."

In fall 2015, Jennifer made her debut on Broadway in the musical revival of The Color Purple. She played the role of Shug Avery. Critics praised her performance, and she later won her second Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2017 for her work on the show. In June 2016, she performed Prince's "Purple Rain" at the BET Awards.

In December 2016, Jennifer played Motormouth Maybelle in NBC's Hairspray Live!. Her powerful performance of "I Know Where I've Been" was highly praised. She also lent her voice to the character Young Nana Noodleman in the animated film Sing, which was released in December 2016.

Coaching, Biopics, and Talk Show Host

In early 2017, Jennifer Hudson became a coach on the sixth season of The Voice UK. She won the season with her team member Mo Adeniran, becoming the first female coach to win the show. She then joined the American version of The Voice as a coach for its thirteenth season. She released new songs, "Remember Me" and "Burden Down," in 2017.

In 2018, it was announced that Jennifer Hudson was chosen by Aretha Franklin herself to play her in a biopic. She performed at the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., in March 2018. Jennifer returned as a coach for the fifteenth season of The Voice in the US and for the eighth series of The Voice UK. In 2019, Hudson played Grizabella in the film adaptation of Cats. In March 2020, she collaborated with Bono, Will.i.am, and Yoshiki on the song "#SING4LIFE" to bring hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July 2021, Jennifer Hudson was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey about her role as Aretha Franklin in the film Respect. The movie was released in August 2021. Her performance earned her the Chairman's Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. She also received a nomination for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. The film's soundtrack, sung entirely by Jennifer, featured many of Franklin's songs. It also included an original song, "Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)," which earned her nominations for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

In August 2021, Jennifer performed a show at the Apollo Theater called Jennifer Hudson - Live at the Apollo: A Night of Soul. She also sang "Nessun Dorma" at We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert in Central Park. In September 2021, Jennifer won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program. This was for her work as an executive producer for Baba Yaga, an interactive fairytale story.

In February 2022, Jennifer Hudson was a big winner at the 2022 NAACP Image Awards. She won Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Respect. In May 2022, she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer for the Broadway musical A Strange Loop. On June 12, 2022, Jennifer Hudson achieved the rare EGOT status, having won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony Award. She appeared in the 2022 film Tell It Like a Woman and starred in the 2024 science fiction thriller Breathe.

Jennifer Hudson's own syndicated talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, premiered on September 12, 2022. On October 18, 2024, she released her fourth studio album, The Gift of Love. She also toured the United States with The Gift of Love: An Intimate Live Experience.

Jennifer Hudson's Personal Life

Jennifer Hudson dated James Payton from 1999 to 2007. She later met David Otunga, a professional wrestler and lawyer. They became engaged in September 2008. In August 2009, Jennifer gave birth to their son, David Daniel Otunga Jr. In November 2017, Jennifer and David separated.

In October 2008, Jennifer's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, passed away. Her nephew, Julian King, was also tragically lost. In response to this difficult time, Jennifer's family created The Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims. Jennifer and her sister also started the Julian D. King Gift Foundation. This foundation provides Christmas presents and school supplies to families in need in the Chicago area.

Jennifer Hudson is a friend of former President Barack Obama. She was invited to appear with him at a fundraiser in May 2009. She also performed at the White House for a "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event. As of 2011, Jennifer lives in Burr Ridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.

In 2022, while working on their film Breathe, Jennifer Hudson began dating rapper Common. They confirmed their relationship in January 2024. Common has spoken about Jennifer, saying she is "one of the most beautiful people I've met in life." He added that "She's smart, she loves God, she has something real down to Earth about her. She's talented."

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Discography

• Jennifer Hudson (2008)
• I Remember Me (2011)
• JHUD (2014)
• The Gift of Love (2024)

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Jennifer Hudson holding her Academy Award in 2007.

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  Jennifer Hudson singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLIII.

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  Jennifer Hudson at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011.

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  Jennifer Hudson in 2012.

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  Jennifer Hudson at the Commander in Chief's Ball in 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Jennifer Hudson para niños