Jennifer Hudson is a recording artist, actress, and spokeswoman from the United States. Jennifer Hudson has a 30 million dollar net worth. She rose to popularity on the reality show “American Idol,” and has had a successful music and acting career since then. She has received numerous Grammy Awards, as well as an Academy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Jennifer earned a Tony Award for her role as a co-producer on the play “A Strange Loop” on June 12, 2022. Jennifer joined the prestigious “EGOT” group, which includes persons who have won an Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar, and Tony Award. Whoopi Goldberg, John Legend, Audrey Hepburn, and Rita Moreno are among the other members of the EGOT.
She was a frontrunner to win “American Idol” during its third season but was unceremoniously thrown off during the show’s sixth week. Many experts believe the low amount of votes she earned was due to a power outage in her hometown of Chicago.
She later appeared in the 2006 film adaptation of “Dreamgirls.” She won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and a SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress for her depiction of Effie White, a part that has traditionally been associated with Jennifer Holliday’s portrayal. Her debut album was published in 2007 and received a Grammy nomination as well as Gold certification. In the spring of 2011, she published her second album. On the Billboard Hot 200, it peaked at #2.
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Early Years and the Start of a Career
Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois. She was reared in Chicago’s Englewood area as the youngest of three children. Hudson graduated from Dunbar Vocational High School in 1999 and continued her study at Langston University. Due to homesickness, she dropped out of university and enrolled at Kennedy-King College.
Hudson started singing in her church choir at the age of seven, and her grandma Julia also encouraged her to participate in community theatre. In 2002, she signed her first recording contract with Righteous Records, a Chicago-based independent company. She was released from her five-year contract with Righteous Records after being allowed to appear on the reality competition show “American Idol” in 2004.
Hudson first auditioned in Atlanta for the third season of “American Idol.” She had previously been singing and performing as one of the Muses from “Hercules” on the Disney Cruise Lines ship Disney Wonder. She did well during the competition, garnering the most votes in the “Top 9” round, but she was ousted two weeks later in the “Top 7” round.
Hudson is largely recognized as one of the greatest contestants on the show, despite not winning. MTV ranked her the sixth greatest “American Idol” in 2009, with the most unexpected exit of all time. Hudson was named the third greatest “American Idol” in the show’s history by the Los Angeles Times in 2010, behind season one winner Kelly Clarkson and season four winner Carrie Underwood.
Personal Experiences
Hudson was in a relationship with James Payton from 1999 till late 2007. After that, she started dating WWE pro wrestler and Harvard Law graduate David Otunga. Hudson and Otunga married in September 2008, and in August 2009, she gave birth to their son David. In November of 2017, the pair called it quits.
Hudson’s mother Darnell and brother Jason were found shot to death in their Chicago home with Hudson’s sister Julia on October 24, 2008. Julian, Julia’s son, and Hudson’s nephew were reported missing and found three days later. William Balfour, Julia’s estranged husband, was charged with three charges of first-degree murder as well as one count of a house invasion.
In July 2012, he was condemned to three life terms without the possibility of release, plus extra 120 years for his previous crimes. Hudson’s family established The Hudson-King Foundation for Familiars of Slain Victims, as well as the Julian D. King Gift Foundation in honor of her nephew, following the tragedy.
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Careers in Acting and Television
Hudson made her acting debut in November 2005, playing Effie White in the film adaption of the musical “Dreamgirls.” She shared the screen with celebrities such as Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé, and Eddie Murphy. She battled out hundreds of experienced singers and actresses for the part, including Fantasia Barrino, and was praised for her work.
Her performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” in particular was praised as outstanding. Hudson received 29 honors as Effie White, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance. The Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Screen Actors Guild both named her Best Supporting Actress.
Following “Dreamgirls,” Hudson starred in several films as a supporting character, including “Sex and the City” (2008) and “The Secret Life of Bees” (2009). (2008). Hudson then went on to star in films including “Fragments” (2009), “Winnie Mandela” (2013), “Black Nativity” (2013), and “Cats,” among others (2019).
She also made her Broadway debut in 2015 in “The Color Purple,” winning a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2017 for her work on the show. Hudson has also served as a coach on the sixth and eighth seasons of “The Voice UK,” as well as the thirteenth and fifteenth seasons of “The Voice” in the United States.
A Career in Music
Hudson worked on a few projects after leaving “American Idol” in 2004, including a duet with Meat Loaf called “The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be.” In November 2006, she secured a record deal with Arista Records. She collaborated on a variety of tracks for her debut album with producers Ryan Tedder and Timbaland, and her breakthrough single “Spotlight” was released in June 2008.
Ne-Yo and Stargate wrote and produced her self-titled first album “Jennifer Hudson,” which was released in September 2008 through Arista. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and garnered generally excellent feedback. The album was also nominated for two more Grammy Awards, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, and won Best R&B Album at the 2009 Grammy Awards.
“I Remember Me,” her second studio album, was released in March 2011 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. “JHUD,” her 2014 album, was her follow-up. Hudson signed with Epic Records in June 2016.
Is Jennifer Hudson Married to David Otunga?
Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga, a lawyer-turned-reality celebrity, divorced in the fall of 2017. After a year of dating, the pair got engaged in September 2008, but never planned a wedding.
Has Jennifer Hudson won an Emmy?
Does Jennifer Hudson Have a Tony Award?
“You’re going to love me,” Jennifer Hudson once sang. She was correct. On Sunday, the actress and singer won her first Tony Award as a co-producer for “A Strange Loop,” which won best musical.
Was Jennifer Hudson a Winner of American Idol?
Jennifer Hudson was also presented to the world in Season 3. Carrie Underwood won Idol’s fourth season, and the then-21-year-old soprano went on to become a Grammy-winning country superstar. The runner-up was Bo Bice.
How Is Jennifer Hudson an Egot?
At the 2022 Tony Awards, the “Respect” actress became the first woman to win an EGOT trophy for her work as a producer on Michael R. Jackson’s Best Musical-winning A Strange Loop. An EGOT is a performer who has received Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and Tony Awards over their career.