Jennifer Hudson: An American Idol, a Triple Homicide, and Undying Faith (Rewind)
6/21/202638 min
Jennifer Hudson shocked her hometown of Chicago when she was eliminated from American Idol in 2004, only to surpass everyone’s expectations when she later raked in awards and rave reviews for her role in Dreamgirls. Yet grief washed over Chicago again when her mother and brother were found slain in their Englewood home, and the smallest member of the Hudson family was declared missing. Their tragic story begins with betrayal and ends with a heartbreak so severe, only Jennifer’s long-standing faith could put it back together.
This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including graphic depictions of violence.
This episode was originally published on September 20, 2022.
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Transcript preview
First 90 secondsDani Shapiro0:00
[music] This is Exactly Right.
Jake Brennan· Host0:03
[music] Double Elvis.
Dani Shapiro0:11
Your husband is not who you think he is. Your body is not what you thought it was. Your identity is formed by a secret history. I'm Dani Shapiro, and these are just a few of the stunning stories I'll be exploring on the 14th season of Family Secrets.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:28
He kinda shoved me out of the way and said, "Move," and he went out the front door, and he jumped in a car and drove off, and that was the last time I saw him.
Dani Shapiro0:36
Listen to season 14 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Karen Kilgariff0:43
[music] If you live in LA, you already spend about 89% of your life in a car.
Speaker 50:47
So we turned it into a podcast. On Do You Need a Ride?, we pick up our comedian friends, drive around Los Angeles, and discuss what's happening in the world around us.
Speaker 60:56
Cars are very rude to bicyclists. [laughs] But in this case, it's a bicyclist going out of his way to get in the way of traffic. All you did was roll your window down.
Speaker 51:04
[laughs] Oh, he almost hit the- It's like a talk show, but going 30 miles an hour. New episodes every Monday on the Exactly Right network.
Karen Kilgariff1:11
Listen to Do You Need a Ride? on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hoda Kotb1:16
[music] Joy is essential, and it's also elusive. But now there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence, Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotb.