Jennifer shows her respect
Not only did Jennifer Hudson have Aretha’s stamp s of approval to play her in the new movie biopic Respect, the two were also good friends from the day they met, after Jen’s Dreamgirls Oscar win in 2007.
“The very first thing Aretha said to me when we sat down was, ‘You’re going to win an Oscar for playing me, right?’” Jennifer, 39, said of their initial meeting.
The pair would remain in weekly contact right up until just before Aretha’s death on August 16, 2018. “The last time I heard her voice was August 8,” Jen told The Hollywood Reporter. “She sang to me on our call and we talked about my son [David] and his cooking. She loves to cook and so does he. I truly miss hearing from her.”