Idol Headlines for 10/26/08

Jennifer Hudson’s Sister Pleads For Her Missing Son; FBI Joins Search

Chicago police say the FBI has joined them in the hunt for Jennifer Hudson’s missing nephew in the wake of the double-homicide of Hudson’s mother and brother. At a press conference on Saturday evening (October 25), Hudson’s sister Julia pleaded for the return of her 7-year-old son, Julian King.

During the conference at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church, Julia Hudson and the boy’s father, Greg King, asked the public for help in finding Julian, who sometimes goes by the nicknames “Juice Box” or “Dr. King.”

“All I ask, I don’t care who you are, just let my baby go, ” Julia said. “I just want my son back. He doesn’t deserve this.”

MTV

Search Intensifies for Jennifer Hudson’s Nephew

Chicago authorities are intensifying efforts to find the 7-year-old nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson while investigating the shooting deaths of Hudson’s brother and mother.

An Amber Alert is still in effect for Julian King, who went missing from his South Side neighborhood home on Friday. That was the same day that the bodies of his grandmother ‘  57-year-old Darnell Donerson ‘  and 29-year-old uncle Jason Hudson were found in the home they shared.

ABC News

FBI joins search for Jennifer Hudson nephew

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent AP interview she said her family helped keep her grounded.

“My faith in God and my family, theyre very realistic and very normal, theyre not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that just another place that home, ” she said. “I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom Im just Jennifer, (so she says), You get up and you take care of your own stuff. And I love that; I dont like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean.”

Boston Herald

More Idol Headlines After the JUMP…

Barack Obama Offers Support to Jennifer Hudson

While family and friends mourn the tragic death of Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother, who were shot and killed Friday, support for the singer continues to pour in. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, who shares the same Chicago hometown as the singer, issued a statement Saturday.

“Michelle and I were absolutely heartbroken to learn about this unimaginable tragedy and we want Jennifer to know that she is in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time, ” the Illinois senator said. “We also pray for the swift and safe return of her young nephew.”

Hudson sang the national anthem during the Democratic National Convention in August after a personal request from Obama’s camp.

People

Jon Peter Lewis: ‘My Prayers Are with Jennifer’

Upon learning of the tragic deaths on Friday of Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother, fellow season 3 American Idol contestant Jon Peter Lewis tells PEOPLE, “I am so bereft of words, just how shocking this is … how senseless and heartbreaking. My prayers are with Jennifer.”

Lewis and Hudson became friends during the 2004 competition when both advanced to the top 12. They later traveled the country on the American Idol summer tour.

Lewis believes that because “Jennifer is a strong believer in God, in the times ahead the best thing for her is to rely upon him to get her through this.”

And, he adds, she should remember that her friends are there for her.

People

COWELL: MY PAIN FOR JEN

X Factor judge Simon Cowell offered his support to Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson last night after the double murder of her mother and brother.

Cowell, 49, who launched Jennifer’s career on his American Idol show, said: “What has happened is absolutely horrendous.

“My thoughts go out to Jennifer and all her family. This is absolutely horrible.”

People.co.uk

Jennifer Hudson’s Neighborhood Grieves Over Deaths

In front of the white two-story home barred with yellow police line tape, where Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were fatally shot Friday, neighbors and fans stood in shock. Amidst the downpour and lightning on Chicago’s south side, bystanders continued to stare and watch police and forensic service officials work to find more information relating to the deaths of mother Darnell Donerson and brother Jason Hudson.

As neighborhood residents stood in the rain on the dimly lit street among boarded up buildings, everyone was quiet ‘ staring in the direction of Hudson’s childhood home later that evening. The police tape kept bystanders away from the house, forcing people to gather at the end of the street in front of Hudson’s high school Yale, just a half block from the house.

People

HUDSON IN SAD RETURN BACK TO CHICAGO STREETS SHE BEGGED MOM TO LEAVE

The city of Chicago has remained a safe haven for Jennifer Hudson throughout her climb to stardom – but her return to the Windy City Friday was a journey of heartache and mourning.

The Oscar-winning actress and “American Idol” contestant was trying to make sense of the ultimate nightmare – her mother and big brother gunned down by a cowardly killer.

NY Post

Hudson’s career took off, but her family kept her grounded

For Jennifer Hudson, two life themes appear again and again: her love of music and love of family.

“One reason my dreams have been able to come true is because of the people in my life, ” she said at a ceremony at the United Nations last year. “They’ve always believed in me, and had hope for me, and loved me.”

The tragedy comes at a time of personal triumph for Hudson, still riding the wave of recognition that came with her best supporting actress Oscar in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls.”

Chicago Tribune

Hudson family home a magnet for fans, neighbors and curiosity seekers

The Englewood house in which actress-singer Jennifer Hudson grew up became a gathering place Saturday for mourners and those drawn to celebrity.

A steady stream of neighbors and fans stopped by the large white home to take photos and drop off mementos, a day after Hudson’s mother and brother were found shot to death and her nephew reported missing.

By early morning, the police tape had been removed from the 7000 block of South Yale Avenue, allowing people to walk up to the fence. A memorial of stuffed animals, balloons and other remembrances grew throughout the cold and drizzly day.

Chicago Tribune

Star rose in Englewood

Until Friday’s tragic events, Jennifer Hudson’s life had been both a fairy tale and a classic Chicago story.

Kids dream about a rise like hers’ from South Side kid in the rough Englewood neighborhood to the widely embraced sixth runner-up on “American Idol” to the out-of-nowhere Oscar winner for her role in “Dreamgirls.” As icing on this cake, she’s now a best-selling recording artist.

Yet she has remained a Chicagoan throughout, visiting her family often and maintaining close ties with her church and city. Just last weekend she was back in the city to be honored at the Chicago International Film Festival.

Chicago Tribune

Parolee brags of Jennifer Hudson, but hides his checkered past

William Balfour wasn’t shy about his famous in-law. The parolee – known as “Flex” – bragged on his MySpace page about singer/actress Jennifer Hudson, the sister of his wife, Julia. “I’m proud of her, and wish her nothing but the best in what she do, ” he wrote. Balfour’s romance with Julia Hudson went sour last winter after several years of marriage, according to his mother.

New York Daily News

Jennifer Hudson’s personal tragedy

By now, you’ve heard the news that Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were murdered Friday in their home in Chicago, and that her nephew, Julian King, 7, is still missing. Chicago police have William Balfour, who apparently is the estranged husband of Jennifer’s sister Julia, in custody in connection with this case. You can read the latest here.

This would be a devastating event for any family. I can’t imagine the pain Jennifer and her family will endure as the next days and weeks ensue. It really is unfathomable. I know that Jennifer’s fans are also devastated by the news and feel helpless in their inability to do anything but send their thoughts and prayers to the family.

blog.syracuse.com

Despite fame, Underwood says she hasnt changed

Carrie Underwood doesnt own any more diamonds today than she did before she was a chart-topping country music superstar.

…I really dont have that much more money than before I made it, she said. …All the diamonds I wear are loaners. I have to give them back. And no, they dont have to pry them out of her fingers either.

…I dont want the responsibility of holding on to them longer than I have to, she said during a recent telephone interview. …So, I turn back into the pumpkin.

Muskokee Phoenix

John Stevens ‘Rewinds’ His Idol Experience

Do you remember John Stevens? The red-headed teen who made it to American Idol 3’s Top 12 with his Sinatra-influenced style? John, whose season of Idol is currently highlighted on American Idol Rewind , is now a college student living in Boston! He’s the latest Idol contestant to fill me in on what he’s been up to since competing on the show. Here’s what John had to say via email:

Reality TV.com

Garcia’s fans share the love with others on ‹Star’ tour

The Nashville Star Tour drew an estimated 1, 500 Gabe Garcia fans.

Wait, make that 1, 498.

Janine and Mike Bellmann of Kerrville came to cheer for Shawn Mayer, the second runner-up in the country music talent show …Nashville Star.

…I’m originally from Dubuque, Iowa, and Shawn’s from May City, Iowa, and when I saw her on TV I thought she was great. I voted for her every week, Janine Bellmann said before the concert that packed Josabi’s patio Friday night.

Another woman, though, summed up most comments.

…I’m here to see this cute guy in a cowboy hat, said Nora Garcia of Lytle, mother of first runner-up Gabe Garcia.

My San Antonio

Neal E. Boyd comes home for Southeast’s Homecoming festivities

“America’s Got Talent” winner Neal E. Boyd still remembers sitting on a bench outside Kent Library at Southeast Missouri State University, belting out tunes with the voice that recently earned him a million dollars.

When people would ask what he was doing, he would tell them he was dreaming about the future.

Boyd, who graduated from Southeast in 2001, received a Distinguished Service Award from his alma mater at the All Alumni Breakfast on Saturday morning at the Aleen Vogel Wehking Alumni Center, and while he didn’t say whether those dreams have come true, he did acknowledge that the past year had been good to him.

Southeast Missourian

About mj santilli 34833 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!