The New, Improved Jennifer Hudson 2.0

"God pulled her through."
That was the simple statement her assistant said that explained the whirlwind ordeal that Jennifer Hudson had gone through in 2008. The American worker had a rough autumn last year; J-Hud had a heartwrenching, tragic, devastating autumn.
But now she has announced plans for a 27-city tour with Robin Thicke, the first time since the tragedy that she will be put the kind of strain on her body and mental state that tests one's mettle.
People close to her said she's built for this; she's a better person; she's stronger.
She'll need to be.
J-Hud herself explained in a recent interview her reasons for jumping back into the limelight as such: ''I have been active for the past four or five years, and to be working like that and then to just stop and all you hear is the clock ticking...'' She shook her head. ''That will drive you crazy.''

'Real Shapes': Are THEY Keeping it Real?

There is a subtle but growing backlash in the fashion world over the "Loose 2" theory among female models (It is said that a woman model with any chance of being taken seriously in fashion needs to be a "loose 2" dress size.)
The fashion world has reacted by coming out with rules governing weight loss in hopes of detracting attention from a worsening public image and the message it sends to young girls.
But the music industry continues to perpetrate the myth that thin is in: Album covers feature idealized stars that have no hopes of looking like they do in promotional materials yet the image is plastered everywhere. The fact is that, in an age of "keeping it real" these artists - and by extension their music - dwell in unreality.
Now this is a separate issue from ,photoretouching (if you go to this link, mouse over the image) which is practiced by media outlets everywhere (here's another one). I'm specifically talking about models' bodies here.
A "real beauty" campaign by Dove last year featured ads with real women with real body shapes and did much to counter the message that skinny chicks get the models.
It is said that Tyra Banks, who is packing on the pounds, is being ordered to lose weight for "America's Next Top Model". What is incredible about that, is that ANTM is her OWN SHOW! Will she cower to the TV executives and try to lose weight, or will she stand up and show off her real "bootylicous {her words}" beauty? So far she has compromised by executives only allowing the top half of her body to be shown, since the lower half is obviously not in line with "ANTM" ideals. But why should she have to hide her body? What do you think?

Can J-Hud Hold On to Her Sanity?

Jennifer Hudson has the No. 1 song "Spotlight" in the nation today. Ironically she finds herself trying to avoid it as she pieces together the last hours of her slain mother, brother and nephew. An invitation-only funeral has been announced for Monday on Chicago's South Side. The arrangements are being handled by Hudson Funeral Home, whose owners are related to the singer.
But how is Hudson's mind-set right now? More than 50% of patients admitted to asylums have had some sort of traumatic experience in their lives. Many of which have refused to cope with reality and have retreated into dementia, pyschosis or worse. Can Jennifer hold it together?
A spectacular entertainment career may have come to a bloody, cruel end. Jennifer Hudson, Oscar-winning actress and singer is no doubt trying to hold it together as the last week has been a whirlwind nightmare for her. Reports have surfaced that she is holed up in a Chicago hotel, still trying to deal with the unthinkable: the bullet-ridden bodies of her mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, her brother, and 7-year-old nephew, Julian. The rumors have been in full-swing as well, ranging from the fact that the only "person of interest" in the case, William Balfour, wquestioned in the deaths and vilified in the pubic, has been arrested but not charged. Did Balfour indeed do it? Security video at the South Side high school showed someone parking the vehicle that Julian's body was found in on Friday, but investigators have not been able to determine the person’s identity from the images. A time stamp on the video showed the car was left there at 12:30 p.m. Friday, but it was unclear whether the stamp was accurate, sources said. If it is, it presents a troubling scenario because investigators say Balfour's cell phone records placed him on the West Side at that hour. If the time stamp is accurate, it would suggest another person may have driven the Chrysler from the Hudson home to Robeson, sources said.
Then there's the troubling issue of whether Balfour is in the notorious stree gang, the Gangster Disciples. If he is then police have a lot more to worry about than just Balfour himself, as the gang is reknown for retribution killings and the like. More troubling is the fact that Hudson's sister went on national TV and pleaded for her son's life but had nary a mention of Balfour, as if she were protecting him. Is she also affiliated?


The tragedy comes as Jennifer Hudson, who grew up in Chicago, continues to reach new heights in her career. Her song "Spotlight" is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recently released, self-tiled debut album has been a top seller. She was featured in this year's blockbuster "Sex and the City" movie and is also starring in the hit film "The Secret Life of Bees."

She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls." In an interview last year with Vogue, Hudson credited her mother with encouraging her to audition for the TV singing competition "American Idol," which launched her career.

Police ID Body as Jennifer Hudson's Nephew

Police late Monday identified the body of Julian King, the 7-year-old nephew of actress-singer Jennifer Hudson. Police found the boy's body in a vehicle belonging to Hudson's slain brother, Jason, 29.
The body was discovered "in the rear seat" of a white Chevrolet Suburban on Chicago's West Side Monday morning, according to the Chicago Police Department. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to reports.
Immediately following the news of the body's discovery, Hudson's family members – assuming the worst – organized a church vigil. Several family members visited the medical examiner's office Monday afternoon.
It's been 3 days, Friday, since Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in their home. The stepfather, who's face has been plastered on TV screens for more than 36 hours now, has not been charged and is being referred to by police as a "person of interest" in the killings.
On Sunday evening, Hudson appealed to the public for help, offering a $100,000 reward for her nephew's safe return.
"Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian," her publicist Lisa Kasteler aid in a statement.
Hudson, who won an Oscar for her role in "Dreamgirls," has long been coy about her family's personal life. Questions about why should let her mother continue to live on Chicago's South Side have dogged her in recent years.
Jennifer's sister looked to be of a different cloth than her sister. He emotional appeal, oddly without mention of the boy's stepfather, last weekend set off a vicious search for the boy. "Give me my baby back. That's all I ask," Julia Hudson said. "I know he's out there. Put him on the side of the street. Just let him go."