Jennifer Hudson is an American singer, actress, and talk show host, who initially captured the public’s attention after placing 7th on the third season of American Idol in 2004. In the time since, she has showcased her many talents across various platforms on the way to several accolades included the vaunted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) placing her in truly rarified air.
In the latest news about the Dreamgirls star, Jennifer Hudson’s 16-year-old son David truly made her Mother’s Day special this year by surprising her live on air while she was filming an episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show. While taping the May 7 episode, the producers announced there was a surprise for Hudson, before David unexpectedly appeared on stage.
Upon seeing him an emotional Hudson exclaimed,
“David! Y’all, this is my baby. Y’all got me again. Okay, what were you saying, David?”
When David shared that he had baked his mother a special cake, which incidentally is also a family tradition, emotions on set were understandably sent into overdrive.
“Thank you! Give me a hug. He said he was coming here today, and I’m like, ‘David ain’t got here.’ And then to hear you come out here, you done baked the cake. My mother always made this pound cake. And our family tradition, so for Mother’s Day, birthdays, all special occasions. He always makes it for me. Thank you, baby.”
Jennifer Hudson shares her son David with ex-fiancé and WWE wrestler David Otunga Sr. The couple were together for 10 years, before parting ways in 2017.
Jennifer Hudson’s previous comments on son David, and more
Interestingly, Jennifer Hudson opened up about her experiences with her teenage son during a panel at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival in August 2025. At the time she even mentioned that he was old enough to begin to learn the importance of earning your keep.
“He is not a little kid anymore. He’ll be 16 on the 10th of this month. And it’s time for him to get a job.”
She added,
“I said, ‘Listen, I didn’t grow up like [this]. I made it so you get to grow up this way. And I worked for everything I have and so you’re going to have to start earning your keep, too.’ Because our kids need that.”
In March of this year, when speaking with PEOPLE, the songstress also touched on her son’s affinity for music and how it inspires her to continue to create as well.
“My voice is a tree of many branches. I am a music lover, as well as a singer [and] artist, so it’s going to display all of that, right? My son is also a producer, and he’s been recreating some of my songs, so I’m inspired by that.”
Jennifer Hudson is currently romantically linked to Chicago rapper and actor Common, who she also cites as one of her artistic inspirations.
Edited by Rahul Singh