Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an Academy Award-winning American actress, recording artist and model. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the
third season of the
Fox reality television series
American Idol. She made her film debut in the 2006 film
Dreamgirls and won an
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, as well as a
Golden Globe Award, a
BAFTA Award, an
NAACP Image Award and a
Screen Actors Guild Award.
She won a
Grammy Award for her eponymous debut album,
Jennifer Hudson, which was released in 2008 on
Arista Records and soon certified gold by the
RIAA. The album has sold over 700,000 copies in the US and over 1 million worldwide. Additionally it spawned the hit single "
Spotlight".
In late 2008, Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew were killed in a shooting. Her estranged brother-in-law has been charged with their murders. Soon after, Hudson stepped out of the limelight for three months. Hudson resumed her public appearances in 2009, and has since performed at the
Super Bowl XLIII, the
Grammy Awards,
American Idol, and
The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Hudson has been described as a friend of
President Barack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in May 2009.
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