Jennifer Hudson’s life lessons
This week, Oscar-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson turns 40, as her new movie – a biopic on the legendary Aretha Franklin – is released.
Life hasn’t always been a smooth journey for the 2004 American Idol winner. In 2008, she was hit by a devastating triple-murder within her family. Through it all, Jennifer, who has also inspired others as coach on The Voice UK, has remained humble and grateful. Here, Closer looks at the lessons she’s learned through heartbreak and success…
‘DON’T LET DOUBT STOP YOUR AMBITION’
After winning US talent show American Idol in 2004, Jennifer suffered with “Imposter Syndrome” when she landed the life-changing role of singer Effie White in the film Dreamgirls, alongside Beyoncé, a year later. But she said, “Don’t block your blessings. Don’t let doubt stop you from getting where you want to be. Sometimes I think we hurt ourselves by being too aware of the challenges. It can be better not to know. With Dreamgirls, I was like, ‘Beyonce, I love you!’ But we’re all just people, at the end of the day. They had to start somewhere, and Dreamgirls was my start – you bet I grabbed that opportunity.”
‘KEEP AT YOUR DREAMS
AND GOALS’
In 2008 – the year she released her first platinum album – Jennifer’s sister Julie’s estranged husband, William Balfour, shot dead Jennifer’s mother, Darnell Donerson, her 29-year-old brother, Jason, and her seven-year-old nephew, Julian. He was given three life sentences. Jennifer channelled her grief into a children’s charity to help with schooling. She’s said, “The children... they are our future. They need to be prepared for the future and what it holds and it’s our jobs to make that happen. I have learned a lot since my school days – most lessons are actually learned through living life. Negativity is only knowledge. It simply prepares you for life. No matter what your dreams and goals, if you keep at it, they have no choice but to give in.”
‘EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT RACE’
The Chicago-born star has a son, David Jr, 12, whom she shares with her ex-fiancé – Harvard Law graduate and professional wrestler, David Otunga, from whom she split in 2017 – and has educated him on racial injustice. She said, “I’ve started by telling him some of the world’s greatest people – leaders and athletes – are black people. But I also tell him the reality of things. When a little black boy was playing in a playground with a toy gun and got shot by police, I told him, ‘You can’t go outside and play with a gun. That’s not safe or smart for you to do.’ I want to teach him, to make him able to make smart decisions for himself.”
‘FAMILY IS EVERYTHING’
The memories and wisdom of Jennifer’s mum remain with her. She said, “All the things that my mother instilled in us... She prepared us. She would say, ‘You know, I’m not always going to be here and I want you all to be able to make it.’ She used to say, without family, you have nothing, which is why it’s so important to take care of family. So if I’m doing that, I know I’m pleasing my mother.”
‘TEST YOURSELF – IT’S NOW OR NEVER’
Ahead of her American Idol audition in 2004, Jennifer entertained on a Disney Cruise ship. She said, “I love family, and that was my first time away from home.
Talk about terrifying. And when I got to the ship, we had to do a wet drill, which I thought meant they were going to sprinkle water on us, but we had to jump on to a life raft, flip it over, and swim. And I was like, ‘Excuse me, do what? I’m not jumping off this.’ But I told myself, ‘This is my test. If I cannot get through a cruise ship contract for six months, then auditioning for American Idol is not for me. But if I can get through this, then I will go forward. It’s now or never; you jump in, or we’re going home.’ And I jumped.”
‘BE CONSCIOUS OF WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY’
Following the birth of her son, Jennifer joined Weight Watchers in 2010 and dropped from a UK size 20 to a UK size 10 after losing 5st 7lbs – becoming an ambassador for the brand before stepping down four years later. She said, “I’m very conscious of what I put in my body. I don’t really have time to do much [working out], so I really just watch what I eat. I’m very careful and cautious of what I’m eating [to maintain healthy weight], so I just try to pace [my] meals throughout the day.”