In a rare public display of affection, EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson was photographed on August 23, 2025, snuggling with her famous beau, rapper and actor Common. The two cuddled in a hallway and posed for pics at “The Voice” coach John Legend’s Ravinia Festival concert in their native Chicago. Legend then shared those photos on Instagram on August 27, tucked inside a carousel of pics from the night.
Hudson, who served as a coach alongside Legend on seasons 13 and 15 of “The Voice,” briefly returned to coach contestants for an episode taped in Los Angeles in early August, filling in for Kelly Clarkson following the death of her ex-husband.
But then it was back to Chicago for Hudson, who rose to fame on “American Idol” in 2005, where she has a residence. But Hudson and Common’s PDA didn’t stop at Legend’s concert. They were also snapped embracing two days later at a basketball game.
See the Sweet Pics of Jennifer Hudson & Common in Chicago
Captioning his series of backstage pics, Legend wrote, “So deeply grateful to my family @common and @iamjhud – two Chicago legends who came through and made the night even more unforgettable. Thank you for making it so special for me and for the city.”
The first pic was of the three stars smiling for the camera in a hallway. The second was a candid shot of Hudson and Common hugging and laughing, while the third showed her beaming for the camera with Common’s arms around her and their fingers intertwined.
In another post, Legend shared photos of both stars performing onstage with him. He wrote in the caption, “Chi-Town!!! Y’all showed up big for the first night of the Get Lifted tour in the States. Thank you again to my brother @common and my sister @iamjhud who pulled up and blessed the stage with me.”
GettyTwo days after the concert, on August 25, the couple was also photographed hugging after they attended a game between the Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces. Such sweet public displays of affection have been a rarity for the duo, who spent almost two years avoiding confirming their relationship.
Common First Confirmed His Relationship With Jennifer Hudson in Early 2024
Hudson and Common were very coy about their relationship when he appeared on her talk show in January 2024, following months of intense speculation that the two were dating.
Rumors had swirled about the duo since July 2022, when they co-starred as a married couple in the movie “Breathe,” per Entertainment Weekly. Hudson flatly denied a romance back then, but by early 2024, they began showing up together in public — sitting courtside at NBA games and at an Usher concert in Las Vegas, according to Us Weekly.
Neither Hudson nor Common directly confirmed on her show that they were a couple, but she wrote a song for him, he delivered flowers to the stage, and when she asked point-blank if he was dating anyone, he laughed and replied, “So, yes — and I’m in a relationship that is with one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met in life.”
He continued, occasionally glancing over at Hudson, “She’s smart, she loves God, she’s got something real down-to-earth about her, she’s talented. But I set my standard kinda high ’cause she had to have a EGOT, she had to win an Oscar on her first movie. I set my standards high. She had to get her own talk show.”
Hudson laughed and noted that she, too, was in a relationship and was “very happy.” The two have since appeared together and supported each other at public events, and have slowly opened up about being a couple.
Jennifer Hudson Hasn’t Ruled Out Marriage With Common
In October 2024, Hudson admitted to Sherri Shepherd on her talk show that having him on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” was one of her “favorite” times on the show.
“You know, it feels like home,” Hudson said of her connection with Common. “He brings me joy, and that’s what our season’s about, is choosing joy. And he is, like, such a light and he’s from Chicago, too.”
When Shepherd asked if and where there might be a wedding in the future, Hudson coyly answered, “Well, you keep watching ‘The Jennifer Hudson Show’ and maybe you’ll find out!”
Neither Hudson nor Common have been married. Hudson was previously engaged to wrestler and lawyer David Otunga, but they split in 2017 after a decade together, per People. They share a 15-year-old son. Common has a 28-year-old daughter, Omoye Assata Lynn, whom he had with ex Kim Jones in 1997 before their breakup the following year.
