Cook County Judge Charles Burns on Thursday set jury selection for April 9 in the trial of William Balfour.

Balfour is charged with first-degree murder in the October 2008 slayings of Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

Balfour was the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia. Prosecutors allege he shot her family in a jealous rage because Julia Hudson was dating another man.

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In “I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down,” Hudson shares that her weight loss affected her decision in playing the role.

Apparently, Daniels wanted to cast Hudson, but after losing weight when Dreamgirls wrapped, she just couldn’t stomach the idea of packing on the pounds again to play the downtrodden and abused teen.

Hudson writes: ”I had done that with Effie and as much as I was moved by this film, I wanted to try a role that had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight.”

Read more at Clutch.com

The singer and actress stopped in her home town Tuesday for the opening of “The Weight Watchers Jennifer Hudson Center.” Hudson, who lost about 80 pounds, is a spokeswoman for the company.

The new center, where walls are covered with posters of the svelte star, is in a strip mall on Chicago’s South Side, not far from President Barack Obama’s home.

“I never thought I would make it to have my own center,” said Hudson, who wore a fitted, ruffled black dress and high-heeled studded black boots. “I’m so honored to be here and see this day.”

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Weight Watchers had pledged to donate a portion of the center’s revenue to a foundation that Hudson co-founded in honor of her late nephew, Julian King.

The body of the 7-year-old was found in a vehicle a few days after Hudson’s mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found dead in the family’s Chicago home in October 2008. All three had been shot. The estranged husband of Hudson’s sister is charged in the killings and is awaiting trial.

Hudson, who started the foundation in Julian’s honor with her sister, Julia, said she was inspired as a child by seeing the success of others.

“I love to target children, because that’s the thing that makes a difference,” Hudson said. “We hope to do the same thing and start here at home in Chicago with health, with education, with dreams.”

Hudson, who first earned fame as an “American Idol” finalist, won a Grammy for her self-titled album and an Oscar for her role in “Dreamgirls.” Her album “I Remember Me,” came out this year.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who attended the ribbon-cutting, called Hudson “Chicago’s ambassador to the world at large.”

NEW ORLEANS — Grammy Award winners Chaka Khan and Jennifer Hudson are joining the 2011 lineup for the Essence Music Festival, which will be held over the Fourth of July holiday weekend in New Orleans.

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Festival officials said Tuesday they’ve also added Kem, Marcia Ambrosius, New Edition, Hal Linton, Eric Benet, Doug E. Fresh, Naughty By Nature and Vanessa Bell Armstrong to the roster of artists scheduled to perform in the Louisiana Superdome.

Earlier, Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc., announced a group of headliners for the festival, including Mary J. Blige, Trey Songz, Jill Scott and Kanye West.

The event, now in its 17th year, started in 1995 to mark the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine and has since grown into a major national venue celebrating black culture and R&B music.

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SOUTH AFRICA – Jennifer Hudson prepared for her upcoming role in the movie “Winnie” about South African civil rights leader and wife of former President, Nelson Mandela by sleeping in a South African prison similar to the one where Winnie Mandela spent 500 days.

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Essence reports:

While locked in her cell, Hudson’s camera crew shot scenes of her confinement to depict the 500-plus days Winnie Mandela was imprisoned. By the third day, the actress said her hair was tangled, her eyes had sunken in, and she began hallucinating imaginary conversations with her son.

Read The Whole Story

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At the Staples Center, Lil Wayne entered the evening with the most nominations with eight, and went home with four, including rap album of the year.

Lil Wayne Performs Tie My Hand With Robin Thicke

Jennifer Hudson provided the night’s most emotional moments onstage. The Oscar winner took her first Grammy award _ for best R&B album _ for her self-titled debut.

CHECK OUT A GRAMMY GALLERY

Hudson, 27, made no direct reference to the October killings of her mother, brother and nephew that kept her in seclusion until just this month. But while fighting back tears, she made it clear that her family was foremost on her mind.

“I first would like to thank God who has brought me through. I would like to thank my family in heaven and those who are with me today.

Hudson later performed “You Pulled Me Through,” a dramatic song about overcoming deep despair, with the lyrics: “When I was drowning, when I was so confused, you, you pulled me through.” As she sang the last note, she looked directly into the camera and dissolved into tears once again.

The Grammy telecast was filled with eye-popping and eyebrow-raising performances, from Radiohead’s collaboration with a college marching band to a televised black-and-white throwback performance from Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne, Kanye West and a (very) pregnant M.I.A. on “Swagga Like Us.”

Watch Jay-Z, T.I., Lil Wayne, and Kanye West Perform Swagga Like Us

But not even these could patch up the gaping hole in the telecast caused by the absences of Brown and Rihanna. She was supposed to sing “Live Your Life/Disturbia” as the second performance of the night, he was later to sing “Forever.”

And each was nominated in the pop collaboration with vocals category, Brown for “No Air” with “American Idol” champion Jordin Sparks; and Rihanna for “If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5. Brown was also nominated for male R&B vocal performance for “Take You Down.”

Neither won a Grammy on Sunday, and the Recording Academy found able replacements for their performance slots in Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Boyz II Men and Keith Urban as they all sang Green’s classic hit, “Let’s Stay Together.” No mention was made on the broadcast about the switch.

Around the same time, Lil Wayne won the first Grammys of his career for “Tha Carter III,” which took the 26-year-old rap veteran to from rap to pop MVP. It wasn’t entirely his fault for not sweeping all eight of his nominations: he was competing against himself in two categories in which he won.

Watch Lil Wayne’s Grammy Acceptance Speech

Besides rap album, he won best rap solo performance for “A Milli,” rap song for “Lollipop” and rap/sung collaboration for “Swagga Like Us.”

Coldplay won three, included song of the year for “Viva La Vida.”

Watch Coldplay Perform Lost with Jay Z

“We’ve never had so many Grammys in our life,” said lead singer Chris Martin, perhaps so excited he got confused (they had already won four over the years). “We feel so grateful to be here. I’m going to tear up.”

Hudson, who has repeatedly declined to talk publicly about the killings, didn’t directly address the details of the October 2008 slayings in Chicago of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew. But in an interview on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that was broadcast Thursday, she discussed the source of the drive that quickly got her back on stage and in the recording studio just months after the tragedy.

“I try to do everything to say, ‘OK, will my mother like this? Will she be pleased? Will she be proud of that? How do I know she’s happy and she’s smiling down at me from heaven?’” Hudson said. “And that’s what I try to go by and walk by.”

Shedding tears, Hudson said she could hear the voices of her brother and mother telling her to “knock it off,” stop crying and keep going.

In October 2008, the bodies of her mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found in the family’s Chicago home.

The body of her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found days later in a sport utility vehicle about 10 miles away. All three had been shot.

The estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia, is charged with first-degree murder in the killings.

Hudson, 29, said she doesn’t know if she’s started to heal yet.

“It’s such a shocking thing,” she said. “It’s a lot to take in. It’s like, ‘OK, is this real? Did this really happen?’ It’s hard to put it in sync with reality.”

Her son, born in August 2009, is a source of strength, she said, and “the cutest little baby in the whole wide world.”

Hudson performed her new single, “Where You At,” and talked about how she lost 80 pounds by resolving to get in shape after childbirth.

Three of Hudson’s cousins – a bus driver, a teacher and a medical administrator – joined her on the show to talk about their own weight loss and model clothes chosen for them by “Project Runway” host Tim Gunn.

Hudson, a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, credited the program and her determination for her weight loss. Winfrey announced that audience members at the show each would get three free one-year memberships to Weight Watchers so they could sign up with two friends.

Hudson said her fiance, David Otunga, has had trouble adjusting to the attention other men are paying to her since she dropped from a size 16 to a size 6.

“It’s like a brand new me,” Hudson said. “Sometimes I don’t even recognize myself.”

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Hollywood (AceShowBiz)– Film Bridge International has released a trailer for “Winnie” which follows Winnie Mandela, the wife of South African leader Nelson Mandela, who is portrayed by Jennifer Hudson. It will capture her life from her meeting with Nelson to how she survived throughout the years when her husband was imprisoned and she was accused of misconduct.

The movie will not focus on the sometimes negative press she received, but on the very powerful love story that kept Winnie and Nelson Mandela together for years. Darrell J. Roodt serves behind the lens for the film which production was kicked off earlier this year in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Robben Island.

Terrence Howard stars opposite Hudson as Nelson Mandela with Elias Koteas and Wendy Crewson landing other roles. The drama is expected to be released sometime in 2011.

VIDEO:

Read entire article at AceShowBiz.com

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From NYDailyNews.com:

There was a new police camera high above 45th St. and Seventh on Sunday, southwest corner, a few yards from where Faisal Shahzad, who clearly did not graduate first in his class at bomb school, had left the Nissan Pathfinder a week ago, waiting for it to go off. The camera was at the top of a white crane, the whole thing known as a skybox. What it saw Sunday was the life of Times Square and the life of the city returning to normal.

Or what passes for normal now in New York.

“You really want normal?” a young cop named Rainero, out of the 6th Precinct, West Village, was saying. “Go back to Sept. 10, 2001.”

Click here to view photos:

There was more police presence than usual on this Sunday morning, the second Sunday morning after Faisal Shahzad, who waited for the car he bought for cash over the Internet to blow a hole in the heart of New York. Only on this day, Mother’s Day 2010, a cold, brittle, sunlit day, it wasn’t a would-be terrorist bringing extra cops to Times Square, it was Oprah Winfrey.

The full name of the event was Oprah’s Live Your Best Life Walk, and the people in it started at Pier 86 and would eventually end up here in Times Square. And though it was partly a celebration of Oprah herself, and the 10th anniversary of her magazine, there were 10 different charities that would benefit from the event. So it was all right.

Click here to read more.

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From BlackVoices.com:

Terrence Howard has been tapped to play opposite Jennifer Hudson as South Africa’s first black president, Nelson Mandela in the movie titled ‘‘Winnie.’ The Academy Award winning ‘Dreamgirls’ star was previously announced in the lead role of Winnie Mandela.

Click here to view photos:

The film will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt, from a script based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob biography ‘Winnie Mandela:A Life,’ Variety reported.

Howard is the most recent actor to play the South African leader: Morgan Freemanreceived an Oscar nomination earlier this year for playing Mandela in Clint Eastwood‘s 2009 rugby film ‘Invictus’; Danny Glover played the politician in the 1987 TV movie ‘Mandela.’

The ‘Hustle & Flow’ actor was last seen in the action film, ‘Fighting,’ and played the role of Jim Rhodes/ War Machine in ‘Iron Man’ before being replaced by Don Cheadle. His next big role is in the Tuskegee Airmen film ‘Red Tails,’ which is being produced by George Lucas.

Click here to read more.

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Winnie Mandela Threatens Legal Action Over Jennifer Hudson Biopic

Terrence Howard Saves Baby Bird From Oncoming Traffic

]]> http://newsone.com/entertainment/news-one-staff/terrence-howard-to-play-nelson-mandela-opposite-j-hud/feed/ 2 http://newsone.com/entertainment/casey-gane-mccalla/jennifer-hudson-will-perform-for-obamas-civil-rights-celebration/ http://newsone.com/entertainment/casey-gane-mccalla/jennifer-hudson-will-perform-for-obamas-civil-rights-celebration/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:23:06 +0000 Casey Gane-McCalla, Lead Blogger http://newsone.com/?p=423822 From USA Today Next month, Bob Dylan, who is still cranking out great songs, performs at the White House as part of a music series sponsored by first lady Michelle Obama. The theme of the Feb. 10 concert is very personal for both Obamas: "A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement." In addition to Dylan, scheduled performers include Natalie Cole, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellenca... Read more..]]>

From USA Today

Next month, Bob Dylan, who is still cranking out great songs, performs at the White House as part of a music series sponsored by first lady Michelle Obama.

The theme of the Feb. 10 concert is very personal for both Obamas: “A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement.”

In addition to Dylan, scheduled performers include Natalie Cole, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir.

Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah will emcee the event, which will feature readings from celebrated speeches and other writings of the civil rights era.

Click Here For More

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From the Telegraph:

Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie is threatening legal action against the makers of a biographical film about her starring Jennifer Hudson.

The film is likely to detail the fraud, kidnapping and murder controversies that have surrounded the anti-apartheid leader’s former wife.

Mrs Madikizela-Mandela, as she has been known since her divorce from Mr Mandela in 1996, is one of South Africa’s most controversial and divisive figures.

She is revered in some quarters as the “Mother of the Nation” for her role in the struggle, the harassment she suffered from the white authorities, and her populist rhetoric that still appeals to South Africa’s poor.

But for others she is reviled. She once notoriously declared that “with our boxes of matches and our necklaces, we shall liberate this country”, referring to the preferred way of killing suspected informers in the townships, setting fire to a petrol-filled tyre around their necks, so ensuring an agonising death.

Under apartheid she was convicted of kidnapping Stompie Moeketsi, 14, who was later found beaten to death in Soweto, and long after the advent of democracy, she was convicted of more than 40 charges of fraud in 2003 – her prison sentence was replaced with a suspended term on appeal.

Click here to read more.

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WASHINGTON — It’ll be a dreamy entertainment lineup for the first state dinner of the Obama White House: singer Jennifer Hudson is set to perform Tuesday night.

Hudson, who won an Academy Award for her role in the movie “Dreamgirls,” is part of a larger lineup that also includes Indian performers, according to an administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the dinner won’t be announced until later in the day.

The dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (MAHN’-moh-hahn SING)is being held in a tent on the South Lawn of the White House to allow the Obamas to invite hundreds more guests than could squeeze into the East Room, which tops out at 140 people.

The dinner is the hottest ticket in town.

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From Chicagoist.com:

Exactly one year ago today, the bodies of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, and her brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were discovered inside their home on the South Side. Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found a few days after in a car on the West Side 10 miles away from his home. All three victims had been shot to death. William Balfour, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia, was charged for the killings with first-degree murder, allegedly killing the three family members because he was upset that Julia was dating someone else. Balfour pleaded not guilty and is still in jail.

Although Hudson has repeatedly declined interview requests to talk about the killings, she has returned to Chicago since last October, performing her song “Spotlight” on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” last month. In just a few weeks, Hudson will visit Chicago again to film an ABC prime-time special titled “Jennifer Hudson: I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” which is scheduled to air in December, and will show Hudson’s old neighborhood and the church where she started singing.

Hudson is also busy focusing on her new son, David, named for her fiancé Daniel David Otunga. In a recent interview, Hudson told reporters that she can’t wait to see “who he becomes, who he takes after, what he decides to do, [and] if he’ll sing.”

To read more, click here.

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From The Chicago Sun-Times

It’s a dreamboy!

Academy Award-winner and Chicago native Jennifer Hudson gave birth to a baby boy Monday night, according to a blog at the Web site Hollywood Reporter.

The boy — named David Daniel Otunga Jr., after his father, Hudson’s fiancee — weighed in at a healthy seven pounds, 14 ounces, the Web site said.

Read The Whole Story

Related

J-Hud Goes on Oprah

She’s enjoyed great highs and suffered terrible lows, but now rumors abound that Jennifer Hudson has some joyous news: She’s pregnant.

Despite denials by her reps, two sources close to the singer/actress confirmed to Essence magazine that Hudson expecting her first child.

The Grammy and Oscar winner is engaged to Harvard law graduate David Otunga, who appeared on the reality show “I Love New York 2,” but so far no date has been set for their nuptials.
Read the Whole Story

Jennifer Hudson Goes on Oprah

Domestic Violence: Not Just The Hudson’s Problem

Jennifer Hudson’s Superbowl Performance

Jennifer Hudson says she’s found getting back to work to be a healing force in her life.

“I’m just glad to be back and be back to work again. Just doing what I love to do is like therapy,” Hudson said on a live episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” broadcast Friday. “I’m in a very good place.”

In a brief interview, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning performer made no direct reference to the October slayings in Chicago of her mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew.

She performed her latest single, “If This Isn’t Love,” and promoted an upcoming tour with Robin Thicke, beginning March 31.

Hudson said Whitney Houston awarding her the Grammy for best R&B album for her self-titled debut CD “almost surpassed winning.”

“As soon as she stepped out on the stage, I lost it. That’s when I got emotional,” Hudson said of Houston. Hudson said she used to create duets with Houston’s records and dream about winning a Grammy.

Hudson, 27, said her fiance, David Otunga, is “working and making plans for us,” and she showed a snapshot of her three dogs, named Oscar, Grammy and Dreamgirl. The former “American Idol” finalist’s Oscar came for her role in the movie “Dreamgirls.”

Was she nervous about singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl? Not Hudson, who said there “was too much going on for me to take it in” or to get nervous about her first public performance after the slayings.

Even the difficult final phrases of the national anthem didn’t throw her.

“To me, the biggest notes and the longest notes are the easiest notes,” she said. “It’s just like I’m glad that I made it to the end of the song. That’s how I am. OK, I got this now, I’m home. I’m going home now.”

William Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister Julia, is accused in the triple homicide of Hudson’s relatives. Balfour has pleaded not guilty.

The bodies of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were discovered Oct. 24 at their South Side home. Seven-year-old Julian King’s body was found days later. All three had been shot to death.

UPDATE: Balflour’s Lawyer Quits 2/24/09

From The Chicago Sun Times

The lawyer who represented the man accused of slaying Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson’s three relatives withdrew today as his attorney.

Joshua Kutnick said he believes William Balfour is innocent but cannot financially support such a high-profile case alone.

“It’s the kind of case that involves intense hours,” Kutnick said after speaking with Balfour’s mother. “I was gathering all resources, but I couldn’t finance it.” Balfour, 27, is expected to be appointed a lawyer from the public defender’s later this afternoon, Kutnick said.

Balfour is charged with killing the mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew of Hudson’s in Englewood last October.

Balfour is the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister Julia.

Click here for the full AP story.

POLICE CONFIDENT HUDSON FAMILY MURDERS SOLVED

From Reuters:

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Police charged the estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson with the murders of her mother, brother and nephew, expressing confidence on Tuesday the evidence was sufficient to convict.

“You can never always know how a jury will decide a case but I’m confident the evidence is there and I’m confident we’ll be successful,” Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis said.

Police said they had the murder weapon and physical evidence as well as testimony that would convict William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s elder sister, Julia.

The motive for the October 24 murders involved a dispute between the two, police said.

Click here for the full report.

WILLIAM BALFOUR ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO HUDSON MURDERS

From Chicago Tribune:

Chicago police said today they have arrested William Balfour for the murders of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson‘s family members.

Balfour, 27, has been in custody in Stateville Correctional Center on a violation of parole and was transferred to Chicago police custody after police served a warrant for his arrest Monday. He was then transported to the Wentworth Area, where he will be held pending charges approved by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

BEYONCE SNUBS JENNIFER HUDSON

From mediatakeout.com:

A few weeks ago MediaTakeOut.com reported to you that since singer actress Jennifer Hudson lost her family, Beyonce – who co-stared in the movie Dreamgirls with Jennifer – hasn’t reached out.

Well on Friday, Beyonce confirmed our report!!

Click here for the full report.

BARACK OBAMA WANTS JENNIFER HUDSON TO SING AT INAUGURATION

Barack Obama’s inauguration in January will have a special meaning to millions of Americans. But it may be especially meaingful for actress and singer Jennifer Hudson.

MediaTakeOut.com has learned that president elect Barack Obama’s staff have reached out to Jennifer Hudson’s people, and offered her the chance to perform at the inauguration – assuming she’s up to it.

Click here for the full story.

From New York Daily News

A parole review official on Monday refused to release the convicted felon questioned in the killings of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew, after a witness reported seeing him with a gun similar to the one used in the slayings.

A 35-minute hearing ended with a decision that there is probable cause to believe that William Balfour violated parole and should be held until a Dec. 3 hearing before the full Illinois Prisoner Review Board.

OPRAH CONSOLES JENNIFER, RIFT BETWEEN HUDSON SISTERS

While Jennifer’s going though the most difficult time in her life, MediaTakeOut.com has learned that Oprah Winfrey is doing her best to help. According to reports, Oprah has opened up her East Lake Shore Drive Chicago condo to Jennifer and her fiancé David Otunga. And for the last week, Jennifer and David have been staying at Oprah’s home – which is not only large, but private and secure from the media.

But things are not improving for Jennifer on another front.

Click here for the full story on mediatakeout.com. Also, click here for speculation about Julia’s strange comment: “Now that Jason’s gone, I’m the prettiest one.”

CELEBRITIES, FAMILY, FRIENDS CELEBRATE THE LIVES OF SLAIN HUDSONS

As the remaining members of the Hudson family, Jennifer & Julia, mourn the deaths of their beloved family members, support is readily available. Beyonce, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Fantasia, Missy Elliot, Patti LaBelle, and Queen Latifah all were in attendance. Oprah Winfrey also came out and showed her support by housing Jennifer in her East Lake Shore condo.

Click here for the full report from Bossip.

PRIVATE FUNERAL FOR SLAIN HUDSON RELATIVES, MONDAY

The Associated Press reports that there will be a private funeral held for the slain members of the Hudson family. A memorial service was held on Sunday, celebrating the lives of Darnell Donerson, Jason Hudson and Julian King. Jennifer Hudson and her sister Julia were not in attendance.

Click here for the full report from the AP.

HUDSON’S BROTHER MAY HAVE OWNED GUN THAT KILLED HIM

From Sunday’s New York Post:

“Jennifer Hudson’s brother might have once possessed the stolen handgun that cops suspect was used to kill him and two other members of the actress’ family, the Chicago Tribune reported yesterday.”

Click here for full story…

MEMORIAL SERVICE SUNDAY

CHICAGO – Friends and family will fill Jennifer Hudson’s childhood church Sunday to mourn the Oscar-winning actress’ mother, brother, and nephew.

Jennifer Hudson and her sister Julia Hudson aren’t expected to attend the memorial service. The services will begin at 3 p.m. and open to the public at 4 p.m.

Funeral services for Darnell Hudson, Jason Hudson, and Julian Hudson are to be held Monday. The three were found fatally shot late last month.

No one has been charged in the killings. Police confirmed Friday they found the gun used in the three killings in a vacant lot on the city’s West Side.

Authorities have called Julia Hudson’s estranged husband, 27-year-old William Balfour, a “person of interest.” Balfour is in custody on a parole violation.

SHOOTING SUSPECT DEFENDED BY MOTHER

William Balfour, person of interest in the Hudson family murder case, is claiming his innocence and saying he had a “good relationship” with the family. Balfour’s mother spoke to CNN about her son and the tragedy and says her son is “not involved”. She claims that Jason Hudson was selling drugs out of the Hudson home and Balfour was with “one of his girlfriends” at the time of the murders.

Click here to see Balfour’s mother defend her son on CNN with Nancy Grace.

SUSPECT REFUSES POLYGRAPH TEST

There is speculation that a family dispute between Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson and Julia [Hudson's] estranged husband, may have led to the murders. It is possible that William Balfour was targeting the famous and wealthy Hudson, Jennifer. Balfour refuses to take a polygraph test. Developing…

See a PHOTO GALLERY of Jennifer Hudson and her family here.

WAS JENNIFER THE REAL TARGET?

According to the National Enquirer:

“Julia [Hudson's] mother kicked [William] out of the family home last May because of his drug dealing, and he was furious. He vowed to Julia that her family would regret it and said he’d kill Jennifer … He knew Jennifer was the most important person in their lives and that her death would devastate them…

He also said he was going to kidnap [7 year old] Julian and she’d never see him again. And he said, ‘Then when your famous sister gets back into town, I’ll do her too!’ said the source.”

CHICAGOIST REPORTS FOUND GUN MAY BE MURDER WEAPON

The Chicagoist reports that a gun that was found in an alley near the crime scene may be the weapon used in the Hudson family triple homicide.

Click here for the full Chicagoist report.

HUDSON’S NEPHEW SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES

The Chicago Tribune reports that there is evidence that someone may have helped the killer of the Hudson family. Julian King’s body was found in a missing SUV, shot several times. There is now surveillance video indicating there may have been an accomplice.

Here is what the Trib reports:

“The body of Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was discovered Monday morning in the back of Jason Hudson’s Chevy Suburban, parked on a West Side street.

Security video at the South Side high school showed someone parking the Chrysler on Friday, but investigators have not been able to determine the person’s identity from the images, the sources said. A time stamp on the video showed the car was left there at 12:30 p.m. Friday, but it was unclear whether the stamp was accurate, sources said.

Meanwhile, cell phone records placed Balfour on the West Side at that hour, sources said. If the time stamp is accurate, it would suggest another person may have driven the Chrysler from the Hudson home to Robeson, sources said. In any event, Balfour did not use his own car to travel from the Hudson’s Englewood house to his girlfriend’s home near 19th Street and Spaulding Avenue on the West Side, police said.”

Julian King, nephew of Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, was killed by multiple gunshot wounds, confirms the Cook County medical examiner. The office did not provide information about when the child died or where his wounds were.

HUDSON SUSPECT ARRESTED BEFORE, RELEASED

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The convicted felon suspected in the slayings of Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew was arrested after police allegedly found crack cocaine in his car in June, but authorities declined to return him to prison on a parole violation, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

A judge dismissed the charge for lack of probable cause in July, but under the strict rules of the state’s parole program, William Balfour could have gone back to prison just for the arrest.

No one has been charged in the shooting deaths of Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, her brother, Jason Hudson, and 7-year-old nephew Julian King, but Balfour has been named as a suspect. Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis said Tuesday he is confident the case will be solved.

Balfour — Julian’s stepfather and the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister — served seven years for attempted murder and vehicular hijacking. Court records show that in 1998 Balfour stole a Chevrolet Suburban and, with the vehicle’s owner clinging to the top, intentionally rammed it into a light pole, fence and iron gate.

According to a Chicago police report, officers pulled Balfour over June 19 after hearing gunshots and seeing his car moving at a high rate of speed. Inside the vehicle, police said, they found a rock of cocaine with a street value of about $100 on the driver’s seat.

Balfour’s parole history report indicates a parole supervisor declined to issue a warrant to revoke Balfour’s parole after his arrest for possession of cocaine.

“Per supervisor … no warrant,” the report reads. “Agent to monitor offender, impose sanctions.”

Corrections Department spokesman Derek Schnapp said officials determined “the evidence that was presented during that time wouldn’t have necessarily warranted a violation.”

Court records do not indicate the reason a judge found no probable cause for the drug arrest.

A felony arrest usually is enough for Corrections to revoke parole, said Thomas Peters, a Chicago criminal defense attorney who represents parolees.

“Even though the criminal case is dismissed does not mean that you necessarily get a pass on a parole violation because the standard of proof is much less,” Peters said.

Peters added, however, that officials also would have considered Balfour’s fairly clean record as a parolee and that he apparently still had a job. In addition, he said, jail and prison overcrowding often play a role in determining whether parole is revoked.

Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, were found in their home Friday afternoon. The body of Julian, who lived with the other victims, was found in the back of an SUV on Chicago’s West Side on Monday. Authorities declared his death a homicide Tuesday but would not say how long he had been dead.

In a message posted on her MySpace.com page Monday, Julian’s mother thanked people for their prayers and said her son’s “lil soul is at ease.”

“I take comfort in knowing that Julian is with my mother and my brother and most of all the Lord and now he’s my angel he’s protecting,” Julia Hudson wrote.

Jennifer Hudson, who won a best-supporting-actress Oscar last year for “Dreamgirls,” has thanked fans for their support on her MySpace page but has been in seclusion in Chicago.

Around the time the first bodies were found, Balfour’s parole agent had reached him by phone after Balfour missed a meeting with him that day. Balfour told the agent he was “baby-sitting on the West Side of Chicago,” according to internal parole records.

The agent said he thought he heard a child in the background during the call. Balfour was taken into custody later Friday.

The Illinois Department of Corrections issued a warrant for Balfour on Saturday for violating terms of his parole by possessing a weapon and failing to attend anger management counseling and a substance abuse program, according to his parole history report.

Criminal charges can send parolees back to prison and keep them there even if the counts are ultimately dropped. A board that reviews such cases after parolees are sent back to prison relies on a preponderance of the evidence, a lower standard than in court. The board considers the violence of the original crime, the parole agent’s recommendation, the arrest report, the parolee’s adjustment and his attitude during a follow-up interview in prison, among other things.

In Balfour’s case, a violation could have sent him back behind bars for a period as long as the remainder of his parole — until May 2009 — minus a day off for each day of good behavior. That would have meant a release date in mid-December at the earliest.

Parole records also show that a woman at Balfour’s home refused to open the door during an agent’s visit on Aug. 27. The woman told the agent during the 8:30 a.m. visit that Balfour was at work but Balfour’s boss told the agent he wasn’t due until noon.

“Agent heard other people inside the host site and suspected maybe suspicious activities going on,” the report said. “Agent will be following up for a possible warrant on parolee.”

Parolees must agree to allow agents to visit their homes and consent to searches. There’s no warrant mentioned in following days on the report, which does note, however, that Balfour passed a drug test.

Schnapp, the corrections spokesman, said the evidence again wasn’t sufficient to warrant revoking parole.

JULIA HUDSON MAKES STATEMENT ON MYSPACE

Here’s Julia Hudson’s Statement on MySpace:

Let’s see I’m 29 years old, I have one child and I’m always bored. I love to have fun – even start a little s*** here and there. I have two younger siblings – my sister is Jennifer Hudson, yes the Jennifer Hudson, and my brother is Jason.

I guess it’s time to update this. When I started my Myspace, all of the above was true. Now because I chose to do what was natural to me and love someone , it cost me my beautiful family. My wonderful beautiful loving supporting mother Darnell, my true blue baby brother Jason , I love u big baby … And last but never not least – my only son Julian, my innocent baby. One that was sheltered from all the evil in the world because we loved him so much …

But thank you all for your loving support. I know some of y’all have your opinions and you are entitled to that. [Some of you are asking] why is she logging on to Myspace at a time like this – let me tell you why. I was hoping that was a way to maybe help me get my son, my baby, the one I carried under my heart for 8 1/2 months, the son it took me 21 hours of labor to bring here, the son I grew to know and love for just a few months over 7 years – that’s why …

And now for those of you who actually cared, thank you for all your words of encouragement. Thank you for your prayers, thank you for posting his picture on your pages as your default picture. Thank you…

But his lil soul is at ease. I take comfort in knowing that Julian is with my mother and my brother and most of all the Lord . Now he’s my angel, he’s protecting me…

MORE INFORMATION RELEASED ABOUT WILLIAM BALFOUR, SUSPECT

More information has come to light regarding the husband of Julia Hudson, William Balfour

Balfour’s father is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence for murder. His brother served time for drug dealing. Balfour himself has served time for attempted murder and carjacking. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Balfour was a member of the Gangster Disciple Street Gang. Also according to court docs, Balfour told the judge back in 1999 he had a good relationship with his mother until “she gets an attitude.”

Before this development, the family offered a $100,000 reward Sunday for the safe return of her missing nephew, as investigators looked for forensic evidence near the home where her mother and brother were found shot to death.

According to the authorities, a white SUV with the license plate listed in the Amber Alert which was issued on Friday begging for the safe return of Julian King was found in Chicago. The body of a black male child was found inside, and there is official confirmation that it is Julian King.

In a statement Sunday evening from publicist Lisa Kasteler, Jennifer Hudson appealed to the public for its help, offering the reward and asking that any information be given to Chicago police.

“Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian,” the statement said.

JENNIFER HUDSON’S MOTHER & BROTHER FATALLY SHOT

CHICAGO – Academy award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were fatally shot on the South Side of Chicago on Friday. Authorities confirm that the fatal shooting was the result of a domestic violence incident gone terribly wrong. Now, Hudson’s 7-year old nephew, Julian King is missing and the FBI is officially involved in the case.

A member of the community church, Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist confirms that Darnell Donerson, 57-year-old mother of Jennifer Hudson was one of the victims. The other was Jason Hudson, Jennifer’s brother.

Autopsy results confirm that the two were killed by gunshot wounds that were a result of a domestic violence incident gone wrong. Julia Hudson, Jennifer’s sister and mother of missing 7-year old Julian King, was the one who called Jennifer hysterical to explain what had just occurred.

An Amber Alert has been issued for the safe return of Julian King, who also responds to the nicknames Juice Box and Dr. King. William Balfour, Julia Hudson’s estranged husband is in custody and being questioned for the disappearance of the little boy.

The FBI has also joined the Hudson family in search of the young boy. Julia Hudson issued a plea, begging “I don’t care who you are, just let the baby go.” The boy’s father, Greg King, was beside as she said, “I just want my son. He don’t deserve this.”

Hudson became famous after appearing on “American Idol” in 2004. She went on to win an Oscar for her performance in the film “Dreamgirls.”

Click here for a breaking video of the little boy’s discovery.

Click here for the full Associated Press story on Balfour refusing to take the polygraph test

It was a dreamy night for a couple of “Dreamgirls.” Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson both glided away with trophies Thursday and wowed the audience with individual performances during the 40th annual NAACP Image Awards.

CLICK HERE FOR A NAACP AWARDS GALLERY

Beyonce won the female artist category while Husdon picked up the new artist award. They costarred in the 2006 film “Dreamgirls.”

“This is where we come from,” Hudson said, accepting the trophy. “So it’s always an honor to come home and feel welcome and to feel the love. I really cherish this and appreciate it.”

Along with Beyonce and Hudson, will.i.am and Seal performed on stage at the Shrine Auditorium ceremony, which was hosted by actress Halle Berry and actor-screenwriter Tyler Perry. The show coincides with the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and kicks off a yearlong centennial celebration.

“The Secret Life of Bees” won for motion picture. “Grey’s Anatomy” won for TV drama. Several of the winners were awarded before the live ceremony, including Chandra Wilson from “Grey’s Anatomy” for actress in a drama series, Columbus Short from “Cadillac Records” for supporting actor in a motion picture and singer-actor Jamie Foxx for male artist.

Chris Brown, who’s accused in a domestic dispute that reportedly involves pop superstar Rihanna, was up against Foxx with Common, John Legend and will.i.am for the male artist trophy. Rihanna was competing against Beyonce with Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey for the female artist award. Neither Brown or Rihanna were in attendance.

Sean “Diddy” Combs picked up the TV movie actor trophy for his role in “A Raisin in the Sun.” Other acting winners included Hill Harper for “CSI: NY,” Tracee Ellis Ross for “Girlfriends,” Taraji P. Henson for “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and Will Smith and Rosario Dawson for “Seven Pounds.”

The awards honor achievements and performances of people of color in TV, film, music and literature. Former Vice President Al Gore and Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai received the Chairman’s Award. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali won the President’s Award. Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons was given the Vanguard Award.

“I discovered that giving made me happy,” Simmons said during his acceptance speech alongside daughters Ming and Aoki, who precariously held up his trophy and counted down his remaining speech time. “As you get older, that’s the easy route, so it’s always been such an easy thing. It seems kinda crazy to be honored for it.”

Click here for an Etta James vs. Beyonce GALLERY!

In her first public appearance since the tragic murders of her mother, brother and nephew in October, Oscar winner and “American Idol” vet Jennifer Hudson gave a stunning performance of the national anthem before the Super Bowl on Sunday (February 1).

Stepping onto a small blue platform, Hudson took a deep breath and leaned easily into the microphone, letting loose her signature crystalline vocals on the country’s anthem, bringing the song a dreamy quality that rivaled one of the other great renditions of the anthem at the big game: Whitney Houston’s legendary soul shakedown in 1991 during the first Gulf War.

Confident and immaculately turned out in a dark blue military style jacket, long white top and black leggings, Hudson gave a performance for the ages, easily hitting the song’s notoriously tricky melody and nailing a pair of long notes at the end that sent shivers through the TV. Pouring her heart into the music on the year’s largest TV stage, Hudson instantly set a new standard.

Before Hudson took the stage, Faith Hill performed “America the Beautiful” accompanied by a gospel choir. Stretching the tempo out to give the song a more soulful, gospel feel, the country star wowed the crowd as the choir rose to crescendo behind her. Amping up the good spirits, the crew of the US Airways flight 1549, which made a safe emergency landing in New York’s Hudson River last month, came out for a moment in the spotlight.

Hudson had been in virtual seclusion since the murders, but began a tentative step back into the spotlight last week when she began filming the long-delayed video for her single, “If This Isn’t Love.” The Super Bowl slot is the lead-up to her appearance at the Grammy Awards on February 8, where she is nominated for four awards for her self-titled debut.

CHICAGO – A man accused of killing three members of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson’s family in Chicago has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and home invasion.

William Balfour entered his plea Tuesday at Cook County Criminal Court in Chicago. Before doing so he nodded to members of his family in the courtroom.

Balfour is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia Hudson. He’s accused of killing their mother, brother and Julia Hudson’s 7-year-old son in October.

Balfour is being held without bail. He is next due in court Jan. 27.

Jennifer Hudson is expected to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

Jennifer Hudson will make her first public appearance since the killings of her mother, brother and nephew during sports’ grandest event — the Super Bowl.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy confirmed Wednesday that Hudson will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 1. E! News first reported Tuesday that Hudson would perform.

Hudson hasn’t made a public appearance since her 57-year-old mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson; 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson; and 7-year-old nephew Julian King were slain in Chicago in October. Her estranged brother-in-law has been charged in the killings.

Hudson, who had released her self-titled debut album shortly before the killings, is also scheduled to sing at the Grammys’ MusiCares event in Los Angeles a few days later. She is nominated for four awards at the Feb. 8 Grammy Awards.

The 27-year-old Hudson already has an Oscar to her credit, a best supporting actress win for her role in “Dreamgirls.” The former “American Idol” contestant’s career was continuing its skyrocketing rise, with featured roles in movies like “Sex and the City” and “The Secret Life of Bees,” as well as her album release, when the slayings occurred.

The Super Bowl is one of the most viewed spectacles on television. Bruce Springsteen is scheduled to sing during halftime of the pro football championship game.

A murder indictment was issued Tuesday against William Balfour, the man charged with killing the mother, brother and nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson.

UPDATE:

A murder indictment was issued Tuesday against the man charged with killing the mother, brother and nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson.

Balfour had already been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, but a grand jury must indict a defendant before the case can go to trial, said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.William Balfour

No new details or charges were outlined in the indictment against Balfour, who faces first-degree murder and home invasion charges. The 27-year-old appeared briefly in court wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit and handcuffs but did not speak.

Defense attorney Joshua Kutnick asked the judge whether Balfour could be moved to the Cook County jail from a state facility in Joliet to make it easier to communicate with his client. The judge put off ruling on that decision until Jan. 20.

Balfour is the estranged husband of Julia Hudson, the sister of singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. He has pleaded not guilty in the deaths of the entertainer’s mother, Darnell Donerson; her brother, Jason Hudson; and her 7-year-old nephew and Balfour’s stepson, Julian King.

Balfour has been in custody at the Stateville Correctional Center since shortly after the bodies of Donerson and Jason Hudson were discovered Oct. 24 at the family’s South Side home. King’s body was found three days later in an SUV on the city’s West Side. All three had been shot.Balfour was arrested the day of the killings and held in Chicago police custody for 48 hours — the longest a person can be held without charges — before his transfer to state custody on what authorities said was a parole violation. He was charged with murder earlier this month.

Tuesday’s indictment was expected, Kutnick said. He said that hard evidence linking Balfour to the crimes does not exist and that he was conducting his own investigation.

“The police believe it is William Balfour, but the problem is what they have done. They find their suspect and build evidence around the suspect. That’s not the way it should work. They should gather evidence and it should lead to a suspect,” Kutnick said. “This was the convenient person to go to. It is bolstered by the fact that it took them so long to get him arrested and charged.”

Balfour’s mother, Michele Davis Balfour, who attended Tuesday’s hearing with several family members, declined to comment.

Balfour has not had contact with the Hudson family, Kutnick said.

Members of the Hudson family did not attend the hearing. A publicist for Jennifer Hudson declined to comment. Both Julia and Jennifer Hudson have kept a low profile since the killings.

Jennifer Hudson, who was a finalist in the 2004 season of “American Idol,” won her Oscar in 2007 for her supporting role in the movie “Dreamgirls.”

On October 23, 2008 Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia, celebrated turning 31 with cake and a small party at home.

The next morning, police say, Julia’s estranged husband William Balfour – booted last February from the house on Chicago’s South Side where they lived with Julia’s mother and 7-year-old son – showed up and spotted a gift he believed came from another man.

That jealousy is the motive that led Balfour, 27, to return to the house after Julia had left for work and shoot her mother Darnell Donerson, 57, Jennifer’s brother Jason, 29, then take Julia’s son, 7-year-old Julian King, and later kill him as well, prosecutors allege.

For more on this story go to People.com.

Hudson was due to film the clip in Los Angeles when her mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were discovered shot to death in their Chicago home on the city’s South Side on Oct. 24. The body of her nephew, 7-year-old Julian King, was found in a sport utility vehicle three days later.

Hudson’s estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, who is married to Hudson’s sister Julia, has been charged in the slayings. Prosecutors have said Balfour was upset Julia had been dating another man.

Hudson has been in seclusion since the killings. However, she has thanked the public for their support since the tragedy, and last week issued a statement after she was nominated for four Grammy awards, including best R&B album for her self-titled debut.

“It’s been a childhood dream of mine to release an album, so to receive four Grammy nominations is truly a blessing,” she said. “I am extremely honored and humbled by the nominations.”

Hudson _ also an Academy Award-winning actress _ was reaching a new career peak at the time of the killings. She had just released her first CD, and was also starring in the movie “The Secret Life of Bees.” She was featured in the summer blockbuster “Sex and the City” and sang the national anthem the night President-Elect Barack Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in Denver.

She has recently been featured in ads for the Gap, but those images were shot well before the murders.

Nephew Julian King, 7, was a smart boy who loved jokes, and Jennifer Hudson’s mother, 57-year-old Darnell Hudson Donerson, was excited by the coming election, mourners said Sunday in the memorial at Pleasant Gift Memorial Baptist Church.

That public gathering followed a private ceremony for friends and family. Jennifer Hudson did not attend either service.

Monday’s private funeral for Donerson, Julian King and Jennifer Hudson’s brother, 29-year-old Jason Hudson, was being held at Apostolic Church of God.

The three were found shot to death late last month, the adults in Donerson’s home and Julian in a vehicle found several miles away.

No one has been charged in the shootings, although authorities call Julia Hudson’s estranged husband, 27-year-old William Balfour, a “person of interest.”

On Sunday, Julian’s second-grade teacher read aloud from journals written by his classmates — including one who lamented that he didn’t live long enough to become president.

With three of Julian’s classmates standing by her side, Carmen Williams of Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy remembered him as a smart boy who liked to tell knock-knock jokes.

“When Julian raised his hand, he had that enthusiastic light in his eyes, and he always — always — had the right answer,” Williams said.

Shari Sweat, a cousin of Donerson, called her by her nickname, “Doll,” as she recounted how important Tuesday’s election was to her.

“Doll refused to be left out of this historical moment in this nation, and before she left these shores, she cast her vote,” Sweat said.

Jason Hudson’s cousin, the Rev. Quentin Washington, reminded mourners that he would have turned 30 on Feb. 17. Washington said Hudson recently joked about getting older, saying “his Afro was getting thin.”

Sean Howard, executive assistant to Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, said he was with the Hudson family when they went to the medical examiner’s office last week to identify Julian’s body.

“When Jennifer and her family walked in, Jennifer was a pillar in that room,” Howard said. “You have a true leader in your family in Jennifer.”

William Balfour, the 27-year-old stepfather of Hudson’s nephew and estranged husband of her sister, told detectives he had a good relationship with the Hudson family, the police official said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

When detectives asked Balfour to take the polygraph test, he stopped cooperating and refused to take the test, said the official, who is familiar with the investigation.

Balfour has been at the center of the investigation since shortly after the bodies of Hudson’s mother, 57-year-old Darnell Donerson, and brother, 29-year-old Jason Hudson, were found Friday inside their home on Chicago’s South Side. The body of Balfour’s stepson, 7-year-old Julian King, was discovered Monday in an SUV on the city’s West Side. All three had been shot.

Balfour had not been charged as of Wednesday and investigators were still gathering evidence and following up on leads, the official said. However, the official said police do not believe anyone else was involved in the killings.

It is possible that someone else drove the SUV with the boy’s body inside and parked it on the West Side, the official said, but Balfour is “the only suspect in the killings (and there is) nothing to link a second individual” to them.

A police spokeswoman declined to comment on the official’s statements.

Balfour’s mother, Michele Balfour, has said Hudson’s mother kicked Balfour out of the family home last winter. She denied her son had anything to do with the killings.

It was unclear whether Balfour had an attorney.

On Wednesday, police found a gun in a vacant lot around the corner from where the SUV was parked.

“There was also some small bits of evidence recovered,” Deputy Chief Nicholas Roti said. He did not elaborate and declined to take questions.

The gun, discovered in thick shrubs, was sent to the Illinois State Police crime lab for testing, Roti said.

Records show that Balfour was arrested with cocaine in his car in June, but authorities declined to return him to prison on a parole violation.

Corrections Department spokesman Derek Schnapp said officials who reviewed the cocaine-possession case against Balfour determined “the evidence that was presented during that time wouldn’t have necessarily warranted a violation.”

A judge dismissed the charge in July for lack of probable cause, but under the strict rules of the state’s parole program, Balfour could have gone back to prison just for the arrest.

Balfour served seven years for a 1999 attempted murder and vehicular hijacking conviction.

The Illinois Department of Corrections issued a warrant for Balfour on Saturday for violating terms of his parole by possessing a weapon and failing to attend anger management counseling and a substance abuse program, according to his parole history report.

It is tragic that it takes an incident like the murder of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew for people to focus on an issue like domestic violence in urban African-American communities. Domestic violence is often ignored by society and the mainstream media,  although it is a serious issue for women of all races, backgrounds and religions in this country.

Domestic violence is responsible for more injuries to women then cancers, heart attacks and strokes; more injuries than rape, muggings and car accidents combined. Every year, four million women are killed in incidents of domestic violence. Black women are 35 percent more likely to be affected by domestic violence than white women.

But the statistics don’t tell the whole story. A lot of violence that stems from relationships issues is not categorized as domestic violence. How could you begin to count the number of fights between family members? How many murders do they lead to? How many fights over girlfriends, wives or childrens’ mothers result in assault, violence or death? These statistics are harder to find, but those in the African-American community are fully aware of the impact.

What is the cause of domestic violence in urban African-American communities? Is there anything people can do to stop it?

Oftentimes, domestic violence is passed from generation to generation. People who grow up in abusive households often see violence as the norm of how men treat women (or vice versa). Boys who grow up witnessing their fathers beat their mothers believe that is the way a man should treat a woman. Girls who grow up in the same situation believe it is acceptable for men to beat them.

Misogyny is another reason for domestic violence in urban African American communities. A lot of this comes from the general misogyny in America, but urban culture is partially to blame. Many people blame hip-hop for the objectification of Black women. By referring to women as bitches and hoes, rappers objectify and dehumanize Black women, which creates an environment in which women can be beaten, disrespected, raped and often murdered.

The glamorization of “pimp” culture in the Black community is symbolic of the misogyny that results in domestic violence. Pimps are praised for their ability to “keep a bitch in check,” by beating them with “pimp slaps.” Pimps are glorified, rather than being condemned as manipulative, violent misogynists who prey on women with low self esteem. In a lot of hip-hop culture, women are seen only as sexual objects and decorations for rappers. Rappers will refer to women as “my bitch” or “my ho.” Not only does this dehumanize women, but it also makes them the possession of their male partners. If a woman is a man’s possession rather than his partner, it may be easier for a man to give himself license to do anything he wishes with her. If a woman is a man’s bitch, what is to stop him from beating that woman as if she were his dog?

Often, women stay in abusive relationships because of low self-esteem, or lack of other options. Physical abuse almost always comes with psychological and verbal abuse. Through psychological and verbal abuse, women are told to believe that they have no value, or that they have no other options than their partner. Many times women will stay together with an abusive partner for the sake of her children, or the false stability of being in a relationship.

One other reason for domestic violence in the Black community is lack of anger management skills. Often, Black machismo is defined by one’s ability to be angry and violent, while those who aren’t quick to anger are defined as “soft.” This phenomenon, combined with misogyny, can lead to domestic abuse.

Domestic abuse has several warning signs.  Verbal and psychological abuse often lead up to physical abuse. If you see a loved one being verbally or psychologically abused, you should intervene. Many times people believe they shouldn’t interfere with someone else’s relationship. If you believe someone you love is in an unhealthy relationship, you should talk to them. When people stay together in unhealthy relationships for the kids’ sake, often the kids wind up the worse for it. Growing up with domestic violence is worse for a child than not being raised by both parents.

Many African-Americans are hesitant to see a psychiatrist or counselor because they believe that would classify them as “crazy.” Counselors and psychiatrists listen and advise you on relationships and personal issues. If you do not feel comfortable talking to a psychiatrist, you can see a pastor or spiritual adviser.

Some African-Americans are hesitant to call law enforcement about domestic violence out of distrust for the police, or for fear of the stigma attached to “snitching.” It is not snitching to report a man beating a woman; it’s a moral obligation. Many times women are scared to call the police on their boyfriends or husbands. If you report domestic abuse, you might just be saving someone’s life. Call the police. Just don’t take things into your own hands.

The Black community as a whole and the hip-hop community in particular must condemn domestic violence and misogyny to avoid incidents like the Hudson family murders. We must take care of our mothers, sisters, aunts and friends to make sure they are not victims of verbal, psychological or physical abuse. To combat domestic abuse properly, we must realize that causes and symptoms of domestic abuse as well as ways to prevent them.

Amidst the details of America’s DreamGirl Jennifer Hudson’s tragedy, will the heinous incident turn a national eye upon a pandemic quite often ignored in urban centers across America?

When shots rang out in the vicinity of the 7000 S. block of Yale Ave, early Friday morning, residents nearby thought nothing of it; or if they did, chose to ignore them.

Such a response surprises few who live in or are aware of the temperament of Chicago’s Englewood community. For many residents, violence in Englewood is to be expected. This sense of normalcy is one reason Hudson tried to persuade her mother to move. Her mother refused, wanting to remain close to family, friends and sense of being.

The Englewood community, once a thriving residential and business district only minutes from the Chicago Loop, today can provide a bastion of fodder for Hollywood financed gangster movies. Boarded and abandoned buildings line the avenues from 7000 to 5500 South, between the Dan Ryan Expressway and Western Avenue.

Drug transactions are as common, if not more, as grocery shopping. Additionally, the widespread collapsing of public schools and the demolition of public housing facilities have left redistributed gangs fighting for new and old territory.

Coined, “America’s Midwest Bagdad,” Englewood is a constant site of warfare. At one time it was racial aggression and systematic redlining inflicted upon African Americans who attempted to move into the predominately Irish Catholic community during the height of the Great Migration and then after World War II. Today, it is the site of black genetic annihilation couched within the phenomenon of the prison industrial complex, a breeding ground for behavior that leads to incarceration.

The city’s reported homicide statistics lead the nation and are on an incline since 2007; between January and the end of September 2008 there were 392 reported murders, a 14.6% increase since 2007 with District 7 in Englewood having one of the city’s highest rates with 32 homicides.

Unfortunately, with vibrant anti-snitching campaigns, levels of pathological anxiety, fear, helplessness and complacency are ever steady in communities like Englewood. And there are countless like communities across Chicago’s South and West sides and in major urban centers nationwide.

Prince Akbar, a former Englewood resident, recants his experience after a shoot-out in his blog Warzone: “I witnessed the next day the neighborhood kept partying and kids kept playing as if nothing happen[ed].”

One may be quick to judge and criticize locals, but it is more difficult to offer widespread sustainable solutions to residents when approximately 45% live below the poverty line. Most feel disenfranchised as citizens and are subject to police terrorism. And disparaging educational opportunities are the norm in a city where racism left predominately black urban center’s economically abandoned.

But all is not lost.  Organizations like the National Block Club University tirelessly work to counter and reclaim the spirit and life of this community and 166 more like it nationwide.

“Instability is one of our biggest challenges,” says founder Syron Smith, who organizes block by block to connect people in zip codes locally, nationally, and internationally. “You have people whose lives are unstable… [With] work, recreation and training, you mix all three that’s a balanced life.”

Of course, Hudson would give anything to have her family back. We pray that her burdens may be eased. But as we do so, let us not turn blind eyes to America’s debilitating illness: nationwide pandemic violence. There’s an Englewood, and communities like it all across the nation.

Stephany “Stiletto” Rose is a poet, performer, community organizer and author of Stilettoed Roses Bleed (Interstices, Inc. 2004). She is an Assistant Professor of English at Claflin University.

“I don’t care who you are, just let the baby go,” Julia Hudson said to a crowd from the podium of the Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church with the boy’s father, Greg King, at her side. “I just want my son. He don’t deserve this.”

Authorities were holding a suspect with ties to the family, but no one had been charged Saturday. Law enforcement sources told the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times that William Balfour was in custody, and the man’s mother said he is Julia Hudson’s estranged husband.

Balfour was named in an Amber Alert issued after Julian’s disappearance. Julia Hudson did not comment on her relationship to Balfour.

The Hudsons, who have insisted on not allowing 27-year-old Jennifer’s fame to alter their lives, lived in a three-story white house bookended by vacant lots. A grill and bottle of mustard stood on the lawn on Saturday, remnants of the barbecues they were known to throw on birthdays and holidays.

“They wouldn’t turn anyone away,” said Bob Israel, who lives in the neighborhood. “They didn’t want to change a bit.”

An autopsy Saturday showed Darnell Donerson, 57, and Jason Hudson, 29, died of gunshot wounds, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Their deaths were ruled homicides.

Police said a family member entering Donerson’s South Side home Friday found a woman’s body on the living room floor. Officers later found Hudson shot in the bedroom. At least one of the victims suffered defensive wounds, said authorities, who described the shooting as domestic violence.

That same day, Julia Hudson reported Julian King missing. Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond, who declined to comment Saturday on a suspect, said no one had been charged. She has said that investigators were talking to “a number of people in custody.”

Bond said the FBI had been called to help in the search for the boy on “the possibility or any theory that he could have been take across state lines.” But she added, “We have nothing to prove that.”

Records from the Illinois Department of Corrections show Balfour, 27, is on parole and spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle. Public records show one of Balfour’s addresses as the home where Donerson and Jason Hudson were shot.

Balfour’s mother, Michele Balfour, said that her son had been married to Julia Hudson for several years, but that they were separated. She also said Donerson had ordered him to move out of the home last winter.

Michele Balfour told reporters that she offered her condolences to the family and denied her son had any involvement.

“All I want is for my son to come home,” she said.

Julia Hudson, 31, asked that the public look for her son, saying he answers to the nicknames Juice Box and Dr. King. She added that her famous sister was in Chicago on Saturday, a day after she called her in hysterics.

Jennifer Hudson’s fiance, who answered the phone, couldn’t understand Julia Hudson and handed the phone to Jennifer.

“Despite her being who she is, she is still my sister,” Julia Hudson said. “She understood. She flew in right away, and we’ve been together since.”

Hudson, who won an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2007 for her role in “Dreamgirls,” talked of the influence of her family often.

In a recent AP interview she said her family helped keep her grounded because her fame hasn’t changed them.

“My faith in God and my family, they’re very realistic and very normal, they’re not into the whole limelight kind of thing, so when I go home to Chicago that’s just another place that’s home,” she said. “I stand in line with everybody else, or, when I go home to my mom I’m just Jennifer.”

Neighbors, including Dana Thomson, whose daughter worked at Burger King with Jennifer and Julia Hudson, echoed the sentiment.

“The mother didn’t want to move. She was not accustomed to it,” Thomson said. “She knew everybody here.”

The tragedy comes as Jennifer Hudson’s star continues to rise. Her song “Spotlight” is No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts and her recent self-titled debut album is selling well. She was featured in this year’s blockbuster “Sex and the City” movie and also stars in the hit film “The Secret Life of Bees.”