Los Angeles (E! Online) – Jennifer Hudson has spent the past few months recovering from the tragic murder of her mother, brother and nephew. Now, both her personal life and her career are blossoming.
Wednesday night, the star returned to the place that first brought her into our living rooms, American Idol. Following the Motown-themed show, the season-three, seventh-place finisher—who famously went on to win a Grammy and an Oscar—taped a performance of her single "If This Isn't Love" to air on the show at a later date.
Following the performance, Hudson, whose tour alongside Robin Thicke kicks off on March 31, spilled a few beans to Ryan Seacrest. When asked about her engagement and upcoming nuptials to David Otunga, she admitted a date had been set.
"Yeah, but it's a secret," the 25-year-old singer said. "I can't tell anybody."
Hudson gushed a little further when she taped her Thursday-afternoon appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
After the two sang "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" from DreamGirls as part of the show's Bathroom Concert Series, the host asked about the happy couple.
"We're like big kids, so we like to ride bikes, and one thing I like to do is I put my dog in her little basket and put her on my back and then we ride the bike to the dog park," Hudson told her.
DeGeneres, as usual, had an appropriate engagement gift: a romantic bicycle built for two.
Jennifer Hudson is in for quite a ride as she readies to wed fiance David Otunga.
On Thursday's Ellen DeGeneres Show, the talk show host presents Hudson with an engagement gift: A tandem bike.
"David is going to love this," Hudson says, adding that bike riding is one of their favorite activities.
"We're like big kids, so we like to ride bikes," she says.
"One thing I like to do is put my dog in her little basket and put her on my back and then we ride the bike to the dog park," says the singer, who has three Pomeranians.
Hudson also opens up to DeGeneres about her days working at a Burger King in her Chicago hometown. She says she quickly learned she could make more bucks belting out songs than flipping burgers.
"When I was 17-years-old, I worked at Burger King, and I found that I was making more money singing one show [for] $75," the Grammy winner says. "I thought it was a lot of money, so I decided, 'I'm quitting this Burger King - I'm going to make my living using my talents and gifts.' So my first option was to be, what I am now, a singer."
Before famously winning an Oscar, Hudson was a third season American Idol finalist. She taped a performance after the live broadcast for an Idol episode that will air at a later date.
She says if singing didn't work out, she always had a back-up plan.
"My second choice was to be a tattoo artist because I also draw," says Hudson.
Asked if she had any body art, Hudson cringes. "No," she tells DeGeneres, "I don't have any."
NASHVILLE, TN -- Former "American Idol" contender Kellie Pickler is off the market.
"I've met someone now that I'm crazy about and he's crazy about me, and I couldn't imagine being with anyone else," Kellie told radio show "GAC Nights: Live From Nashville."
The buxom Southern blonde said that while she is head over heels for her guy, she isn't ready yet to walk down the aisle.
"There's a sense of reality where you have to be a realist and think, this is something that you're gonna make a vow to spend the rest of your life with this person and your priorities are gonna change," she told the show. "Right now, I'm in the point of my life where I want my career to be No. 1."
And Kellie, who is expected to tour later this year with teenage country cutie Taylor Swift , said she feels too young for marriage.
"I'm not ready -- I'm 22, I just started out -- I'm not ready to put my husband first," she said. "[I'll wait until] I'm to a point into my career where I can say, 'This can come in second and I'm ready to have a family.'"
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Actress and recording star Jennifer Hudson will sing the U.S. national anthem at the Super Bowl in her first public performance since the shooting deaths of her mother, brother and nephew, her Web site said on Wednesday.
The former "American Idol" contestant and Oscar-winning "Dreamgirls" actress will open the NBC broadcast of the National Football League championship on February 1 in Tampa Bay, Florida, with her rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Rock veteran Bruce Springsteen already has been announced for the coveted half-time slot during the game, usually the most watched U.S. television broadcast of the year.
Hudson's Super Bowl gig will come five days before she is due to sing in Los Angeles at the 2009 MusiCares Person of the Year show, an event leading up to the 51st annual Grammy Awards on February 8. Hudson's self-titled debut release is nominated for a Grammy as best R&B album.
In October, Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were shot to death in her hometown of Chicago. Authorities have charged Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, with murder in the slaying of her family members.
Hudson, 27, competed in the reality talent show "American Idol" in 2004. She was eliminated midway through the competition but revived her career with a critically acclaimed performance in the 2006 musical "Dreamgirls," which earned her an Academy Award as best supporting actress. Last year, she co-starred in the movie "The Secret Life of Bees."
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; editing by Steve Gorman and Mohammad Zargham)
CHICAGO - A prosecutor alleged Wednesday that Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law killed three of her relatives — with a gun stolen from one of the victims — because he was angry his estranged wife, the singer's sister, was dating another man. William Balfour appeared in court for the first time in connection with the deaths and was denied bond. His attorney said authorities have no forensic evidence linking Balfour to the killings, but prosecutors said witness statements and the suspect's own lies and threats helped lead them to him. Balfour was charged with murder Tuesday after being held for weeks on a parole violation. The slightly built man, wearing a yellow jump suit, stood quietly Wednesday as prosecutor LuAnn Snow described how he allegedly killed his 7-year-old stepson, Julian King, Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and Hudson's brother, Jason Hudson. Snow said Balfour had been at the Hudsons' South Side home early Oct. 24 and confronted his estranged wife, Julia Hudson, about a birthday present he believed she had received from a boyfriend. Balfour, Snow said, also had shown up to Julia Hudson's workplace earlier in the month to confront her about dating another man. "He told her at the time that her family would suffer if she saw other men," Snow said after Wednesday's hearing. Balfour threatened Julia Hudson again that morning at the home, Snow said, adding that Hudson did not take the threat seriously because he "had not followed through on any of those threats" before. The two left the home together that morning, with Hudson driving away as she saw Balfour walking toward his own car, according to documents prosecutors filed with the court. But Balfour's car broke down and two acquaintances gave him a ride to a gas station — during which time Balfour told them he had a handgun, but had left it in his car, Snow alleged. In fact, the prosecutor said, the gun belonged to Jason Hudson and Balfour allegedly stole it during the summer. "Several people observed defendant with the gun in the late summer of 2008," Snow said. Balfour was taken back to his disabled car after the trip to the gas station, "although he was offered a ride to other locations," Snow told the court. In the stark language of a legal document she was reading from, Snow described what allegedly happened next: "Defendant then entered the home at 7019 S. Yale at gunpoint," she read. "He shot Darnell Donerson several times while she was in the living room area. He then went into Jason Hudson's bedroom and shot him two times in the head." Jason Hudson, she said, was still in bed when he was shot. Balfour allegedly then took 7-year-old Julian and put him in Jason Hudson's white SUV. "Defendant shot Julian King in the head while the 7-year-old was laying behind the front seat of the Suburban," Snow read. His body was found three days later in the SUV. Balfour's attorney, Joshua Kutnick, criticized the first-degree murder and home invasion charges against his client, saying no fingerprint, blood or other forensic evidence links the 27-year-old to the slayings. "There is no direct evidence of Mr. Balfour committing these crimes," he said, adding that a girlfriend who claims Balfour confessed to her and asked her to provide him with an alibi is "highly suspect." Snow said there is evidence linking Balfour to the crimes, including gunshot residue on the steering wheel of the car that had broken down. Further, she said, Balfour has made statements to authorities that detectives have disproved. For example, while Balfour claimed he used a transit card to ride a train from the Hudson residence to his home, "The card was last used two days before the murders," Snow said. Balfour also does not appear on surveillance video of the train station he said he rode to, Snow said. Cell phone records and gas station surveillance video show Balfour was in the immediate vicinity of the Hudsons' home until shortly after 9 a.m., according to the court documents. Snow said Balfour claimed he was at his West Side home at 10 a.m. the morning of the killings but cell phone records show he did not return there until just before 1 p.m. Kutnick argued that none of that means his client killed anyone. He told the judge Balfour has not confessed and no one has come forward saying they saw him commit the crimes. As for the gunshot residue, Kutnick said after Wednesday's hearing that Balfour's car had been left unattended the day of the killings and it wasn't known if anyone else had used it. He also said witnesses linking Balfour to Jason Hudson's stolen gun are unreliable. Balfour previously went to prison for seven years for attempted murder and vehicular hijacking. His next court date in the murder case is set for Dec. 30. Jennifer Hudson was a finalist in the 2004 season of "American Idol" and won her Oscar in 2007 for her film debut, a supporting role in "Dreamgirls." She has mostly stayed out of the spotlight and close to her family since the killings. Her publicist said Wednesday that the actress would not offer any comment
Los Angeles (E! Online) – A day after skipping yesterday's public memorial, Jennifer Hudson joined family members and celebrity friends—invites went out to the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifah and Fantasia Barrino—this morning in Chicago for a private service for the Oscar winner's slain mother, brother and nephew.
Roughly 200 people attended the invite-only closed-casket service, which took place at the Apostolic Church of God on the city's South Side at 9 a.m.
Police were on hand from the early morning hours to direct traffic away from the building and keep spectators at bay while a procession that included a school bus, three hearses and several limos arrived at the church.
Several precautionary measures were taken to ensure the Hudson family's mourning could take place in private, including plastic partitions around the rear of the church to block looky-loos and video crews, as well as the closure of surrounding side streets.
Mourners gathered to celebrate the three victims of last month's tragedy, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, 29-year-old Jason Hudson and 7-year-old Julian King. All died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Though it remains unclear who, besides Hudson and her sister, Julia (Julian's mother), attended the service, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that it may have been a star-studded memorial.
According to the newspaper, Hudson's fellow American Idol alum Barrino was expected to sing at the service, while Winfrey, Latifah, Clive Davis, Patti LaBelle, Missy Elliott, Ciara and Usher were among those scheduled to attend.
The investigation into the trio's deaths is ongoing, and while no arrests have yet been made, William Balfour, the estranged husband of Julia Hudson, remains in custody and has been named as a person of interest. ................................................................................. Police Identify Body of Hudson's Nephew Mon., Oct. 27, 2008 4:24 PM PDT by Natalie Finn
Chicago police have confirmed the harrowing news. The body of a young boy found in an abandoned SUV is in fact that of Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King.
"Tragically, search efforts ended shortly after 7 a.m.," Police Superintendent Jody Weis said at a press conference this afternoon in Chicago.
"At this time, we can confirm that the body located inside the vehicle was the body of 7-year-old Julian King. The vehicle was towed and taken in...for forensic processing."
The announcement came shortly after Jennifer Hudson, accompanied by family members, viewed the remains—the second time in three days the Oscar winner has had to make the grim trip to the morgue, having previously identified her slain mother and brother.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. A police spokeswoman said that Julian was shot multiple times, but Weis said those details were being left to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office to report.
"Today a family and a community are grieving, but we want them to take comfort in knowing that Chicago police and detectives will continue to work around the clock to ensure that justice is served," Weis said, also thanking the Illinois State Police and FBI for their time and efforts.
"The Hudson family members are also a key partner in this investigation, cooperating with detectives every step of the way under stressful and very painful circumstances."
Julian, the son of Hudson's sister Julia, was reported missing shortly after a relative discovered the bodies of the actress' mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, and her older brother, 29-year-old Jason Hudson, Friday afternoon in Donerson's Englewood home. Each had been shot to death.
FBI agents this morning located the white 1994 Chevrolet Suburban that Julian was believed to have been taken away in after receiving a call at 7:06 a.m. about a suspicious parked vehicle in the 1300 block of South Kolin Avenue on Chicago's West Side.
A body was discovered in the backseat.
"I didn't look in there. I didn't touch it. I knew it was a strange vehicle," area resident John Loudon, whose wife reported the vehicle to police after he saw that its license-plate number matched reports of the SUV police were looking for, told the Chicago Tribune.
"I feel bad about that baby," he added.
Hudson had offered a $100,000 reward for Julian's safe return. "Thank you all for your prayers and your calls. Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts, please contact the authorities immediately," Hudson wrote on her MySpace blog.
William Balfour, Julia Hudson's estranged husband, has been in police custody since Friday night as a "person of interest." He has denied involvement in the crime but has since reportedly stopped responding to authorities' questions. No charges have been filed.
The 27-year-old man was transferred to a state lockup Sunday night for violating his parole. Released in 2006, Balfour spent seven years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder and vehicular hijacking. His latest arrest qualifies as a parole violation.
"I think they're pretty optimistic," Superintendent Weis said when asked whether authorities expect to solve the crime.
"You've got two crime scenes...I'm very confident that our forensic technicians will go through both areas with a fine-toothed comb, and I suspect that we'll have some evidence that will link us to the killer."
"We're following any lead we can get right now," Weis added. "[Balfour] is a person of interest, but that's not to say that there is not other individuals that may turn up. Right now, we're just following the facts we have, we're following the evidence that we have."
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