Grammy and Oscar-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson has had her fair share of ups and downs since 2004, when she burst on the scene as a beloved contestant on “American Idol.”
Hudson, 36, is now an award-winning performer whose career has endured for more than a decade.
But despite her successes, she has also faced heartbreak, including the 2008 murder of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. Her former brother-in-law, William Balfour, was convicted of the killings in 2012 and is serving life in prison, as ABC News reported.
Despite that very public and heartbreaking plight, Hudson has held close to her roots. When the Guardian asked her in a recent interview which book has changed her life, she pointed back to the Bible.
“I’ve been reading it since I was little and it hasn’t failed me yet,” she said.
Hudson also paid tribute to her late mother, Darnell Donnerson, whom she said raised her right. In fact, she credited her entertainment success to her mom.
“I owe my mother everything,” she told The Guardian. “I wouldn’t be where I am today if she hadn’t been there to raise me right.”
Hudson has spoken out in the past about the role her faith has played in helping her overcome difficulties, specifically the deaths of her mom, brother and nephew.
“I’ve seen the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows and everything in between,” she told Glamour back ion 2015. “But what my mother, my grandmother, and all the powerful women in my family instilled in us — our faith, and how to make it on our own — carries me through. It’s like they are very much still here.”
Last year, Hudson made headlines when she beautifully belted out her favorite hymn during an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
She also shared an Instagram video around the same time featuring her 7-year-old son belting out “Hallelujah.”