Jennifer Hudson shared a rare look into her family life when she posted a photo of her big sister, Julia Hudson, on Instagram on Friday, October 23. The former “American Idol” finalist asked fans to help her wish her sister a happy birthday, as Julia turned 49.
Jennifer Hudson Celebrates Her Sister
The photo shows both Hudson sisters smiling widely as they pose side by side. In the caption of her post, Jennifer wrote, “Team JHud, help me wish a happy 49th birthday to my big sister @juleyah, the original JHUD! I love you!!!” Fans flooded the comment section with their thoughts, and celebrity friends also left comments.
Musician Brandy wrote, “Happy Birthday,” followed by three heart emojis.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUEEN JUJU,” a fan wrote. “Super sweet and funny!!!! Happy birthday,” another fan shared. Other reactions include, “HBD!!! More life… more joy!” “Happy Birthday and many Blessings!” and “Happy Birthday cousin @juleyah may God continue to bless you with many more and enjoy your day!!!”
This is not the first time that Jennifer has honored her sister. In a post on October 23, 2024, she wrote, “Today is my sister Julia’s bday! Juju is the original JHud! Team JHud, help me wish her a very happy birthday!” she wrote.
Jennifer Hudson’s Relationship With Her Family
The Hudson sisters share a close bond, and 18 years ago their lives were affected by tragedy when Julia found their mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, dead at their shared home in Chicago’s South Side on October 24, 2008. Her 7-year-old son, Julian King, was found dead days later. Julia’s estranged husband, William Balfour, was convicted of the killings.
In a 2011 interview with Oprah Winfrey for “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” Jennifer reflected on the devastating incident and how it affected her life. “It’s such a shocking thing, and it’s a lot to take in,” she said, ABC News reports. “It’s like, OK, is this real? Did this really happen? It’s hard to put it in sync with reality.”
She added, “It’s a very emotional subject. [I got through it because] of my family, my baby, and God.”
Jennifer shared her memories and how much she misses her loved ones. “I keep holding on to things that they taught us,” she said. “My mother and even my brother – I can hear him saying to me, ‘Just knock it off.’ My mother right now would say to me, ‘Why are you always crying? Stop crying. You’ve got to keep going.’ ”
She continued, “The only thing I can do to honor their memory is to make them proud. I keep thinking, ‘Would my mother like this or that, would she want this?’”
Jennifer Hudson Remembers Her Beloved Mom
In a 2019 interview with The Guardian, Jennifer reflected on her relationship with her late mom and how she raised her and her siblings mostly on her own. The singer also raised them to be confident, independent, and happy. “She used to tell us: ‘No matter what you put your mind to, you can do.’ She said: ‘I think you can act.’ Or, ‘Jenny, I think you can draw.’ I’m like, ‘Whatever, Momma,’” Jennifer said.
She continued, “One of my other favorite things she’d say is, ‘Whatever makes you happy. As long as you’re happy, Momma’s happy.’ And that’s how it should be. No one knows what makes you happy, and who’s to say what you should and shouldn’t be? You know your value. Just because you value one thing, someone else may value another thing, and you should respect that. And my mother – I can just see her saying all that.”
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Jennifer Hudson Shares Rare Glimpse Into Her Personal Life With Sweet Photo of Her Sister