Image Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.comIn 2004, the onetime Disney cruise-line employee from Chicago’s Southside sang her way to seventh place on American Idol; less than three years later, she was an Oscar winning, Hollywood-sweeping Dreamgirl. Then, in October of 2008, her mother, brother, and young nephew were brutally murdered by her sister’s estranged husband, and she retreated entirely from the public eye until February 2009, when she emerged to perform a soaring rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XLII.
Through it all, the 28-year-old singer, actress, and mother of 10-month-old David Daniel Otunga Jr. has been understandably reticent to discuss her personal tragedy in the press, but on last night’s Behind the Music: Jennifer Hudson, she addressed it frankly: “It’s all a blur, it was surreal,” she says of the immediate aftermath of the killings. “It was like I was outside of myself … For almost two weeks straight . . . [I was] inside one room with just family and friends coming in and out. I prayed when I’d get up in the morning and prayed before I laid down at night.”
Of the 2009 Grammys, at which she sang the emotional ballad “You Pulled Me Through” nearly a cappella, she says now, “I was definitely thinking of my family when I was singing that song. I could hear my [late] brother in my head, like, ‘Jennifer, you need to kill this, you need to get up and do it.’ I knew he would be disappointed if I didn’t do it justice.”
The birth of her son, she says, helped with her grieving: He “makes me feel like the most special person on earth. I want him to get the same love and the same upbringing my mother gave us.”
Today,” she says, “I feel like I’ve lived about three or four different lives.” She shares happier memories too, of growing up with a loving single mom and a grandmother who encouraged her to join her church’s gospel choir; she laughingly recalls singing in drag clubs and at weddings before finally making the cut at Idol‘s Atlanta auditions. If you missed the show, several clips (as well as various bonus materials) are available at Vh1.
Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
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Lauryn Hill explains why she put her career on hold — and why she might be coming back — in rare NPR interview
Marina and the Diamonds’ new “Oh No” video
Maxwell and Jill Scott double the loving at New York’s Madison Square Garden
Never-released Lady Gaga song, “You and I”: Listen here
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God bless her.
some people live to spell check. pretty pathetic huh?
@Jessica: Is it your intellect that forces you to employ vulgar language to get your point across?
The grammatical rules of the English language were adopted from Latin, because of the perception that Latin was a more civilized, intelligent language for white man to be speaking. Unfortunately, forcing the constraints of a Romance language onto a Germanic language was like using a hammer to put in a puzzle-piece that doesn’t fit. It becomes even more interesting when elements of every other possible language are added in.
Over time, the most important rule in language is always “did it communicate what was intended?”
If yes– then please show-boat your intelligence in another manner. Elitism is annoying.
WTF No one is more annoying than you.
2 1/2 months of mourning is not exactly retreating from the public. Hyperbole much?
Look as a super star, and she was all over the place doing movies and music(HOT). To take off almost three months out of the public eye is just like you taken off from your job a year. (hater)
Ow, Jennifer you need to kill this! OMG!!!!!!
DROP A DUCE HONEY
ALWAYS wonderful when someone making insults can’t spell. Grow a brain, Bobby!
How was that an insult? Also, you can’t write, Legally.
Um.. It’s DEUCE
I am so happy for Jennifer Hudson’s success. I don’t know her, never met her, but I feel proud and protective of her as if she was family.
I really do admire Jennifer Hudso. I have to admit though, I’m a little taken back by what she heard her brother saying while she sang in 09, “Jennifer, you need to kill this”. Think she could have chosen a better phrase?
“kill this” is just saying to her do your best. Just like ” knock’em dead”. Mike you put to much thought in this. man
WOW…are you serious!
I think we all understand its “just a saying” but in context, just sounds horrible. Its not like her family died in a car accident, they were KILLED.
she is supposed to censor the thoguhts in her head– because it rubs your feelings of her tragedy the wrong way?????
Best. Comment. Ever.
I am so happy Jennifer has made a comeback after such a terrible tragedy. It will be very hard to ‘get over’ such an ordeal, but the sharp edges of the pain gets better as time, the eternal healer goes on. All the best Jennifer. You are indeed very special!
God Bless Her! She is a strong, resilient and beautiful woman and I wish her a long lived successful career and a blessed life.
Grammer books are free at the library.
LMAO, you can’t even spell “grammar”.
George, I have no need for a grammar book. I am a graduate with a degree in english as well as 2 other languages. But I don’t need a translator to know that you are so full of yourself someone should call a plumber to clear up the excrement buildup you seem to be suffering from. Start a new thread with your juvenile comments, they are not welcome here.
your obsessiveness with grammer suggests to me that you really don’t give a damn about the content but you are merely wanting to draw attention to yourself. What a sad life you must live. May I suggest you do some reading on questioning your self worth rather than that of others. I suspect you have an insecurity problem regarding yourself and feel to overcome this you need to point fingers. Give it up. No one is taking you seriously and frankly your comments have no bearing on this discussion. Class dismissed
You seem to be obsessed with george and yourself. Clearly you are taking george very seriously.
I thought you meant Grammar, and then I realized only a tard would misspell that – you actually meant *Kelsey Grammer’s* books are free at the library. Good thing you’re not a douche.
Mike, really??? The context of “kill” here has nothing to do with death, but with her putting everything that she had into singing this song.
yea i agree cordy. people say things like that having to do with music all the time. how many times has randy jackson said it on the show lol? if jennifer was offended by the term she wouldn’t have said it. i admire her for not being afraid to speak about what happened and glad that her son and husband are bringing her happiness!
Cordy, I agree
most of us are familiar w/the terminology
“man she killed it”
And George, spell check is available online as well if you should wish to correct someone’s grammar or mechanics.
Glad to hear the progress. Unfortunately, ;> your son will make you feel the size of a newt in about 12 years! (but this eventually gets better, too!)
She has a strength beyond her years
A voice that requires no mechanics
Legend – Stage 1
bobby fudge$#@ you must have been raised by a wild boar or some less than pleasant parents to have no compassion whatsoever save ignorant comments such as the one you left here for your group of friends and discuss them,in private, over a nice warm Natural Ice !
I can not stand this person, I do not think her head could get any bigger. She won an Oscar but she will not win another one…she was very lucky she won the one she has.
Does this forum have an ignore button?
CLRH? do you like Jim Carey movies?..just asking.
…and how many oscars do YOU have?????
what on EARTH does this have to do with the loss of her family or her grieving? Who the heck cares about some awards? I’m sure that is the least of things from her mind. Get a grip and come back to reality!
CLRH you sure are ignorant. What does the loss of family and her grieving have to do with your stupid remark.
don’t feed the troll, guys
Have people forgiven her for that diva-ish action, when she pulled George Huff into her group, having the gall to think they were in the top group???
Most people probably don’t even remember that happening…and she SHOULD have thought she was in the Top Group (especially the very week she was voted off), she was that good!
Joe, when your group is Fantasia, Jennifer Hudson, and LaToya London, you ARE the top group (sorry Idol viewers didn’t see it that way). C’mon get real, when your competition includes Jon Stevens and Jasmine Trias was there anyone in America who didn’t think George was standing with the right group? Just saying.
Yup.