Archive for the 'Jennifer Hudson' Category

Hundreds of mourners attended a private funeral service for Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson’s slain mother, brother and nephew Monday at a South Side church.

A composed Hudson paused before the bodies of her relatives before giving her mother a final kiss, said attendees of the invitation-only service.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and the Rev. Jesse Jackson were among those who spoke at the three-hour service for Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, 7.

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. Julian is the son of Jennifer Hudson’s older sister, Julia Hudson.

No one has been charged in the shootings, although authorities have called Julia Hudson’s estranged husband, 27-year-old William Balfour, a “person of interest.” He remains in custody on a parole violation.

During the service, “American Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino sang the gospel song “Your Grace and Mercy,” and at one point left the stage to take Jennifer Hudson’s hand and sing directly to her, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Small blue tickets that read “Hudson Family Funeral” were needed to enter the massive Apostolic Church of God, but that didn’t deter crowds of onlookers who gathered outside.

Glover Lewis, who lives in the same South Side neighborhood as the Hudson family, attended the services and told the Tribune he was touched by the way Hudson bid her family members goodbye.

“Jennifer is the pillar,” Lewis said. “It’s obvious she’s holding the family together.”

Shenika Bowers, 35, of Chicago was one of several dozen people who stood outside the church in hopes of sharing sympathies with the singer-actress.

“She needs us right now,” Bowers said of Hudson. “She needs support from everyone who she can get it from. I cannot imagine how she feels but I do feel for her.”

Latosha Funches, 33, of Chicago, said she’s been a Hudson fan since the singer was on “American Idol” and wanted to pass along her condolences.

“I have kids of my own too,” said Funches, who pushed her 11-month-old son in a stroller. “I know how she feels. I just hope she can get through it. She looks like she’s very strong.”

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

Monday’s services followed a public memorial held Sunday at Pleasant Gift Memorial Baptist Church, where Hudson sang in her childhood.

The bodies of Donerson and Jason Hudson were discovered Oct. 24 at the family’s home. Julian’s body was found three days later in a sport utility vehicle on the city’s West Side.

Police arrested Balfour the same day the bodies of Donerson and Hudson were discovered. After 48 hours - the longest Chicago police can hold a person without charges - Balfour was taken by the Illinois Department of Corrections on a parole violation.

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

His mother, Michelle Balfour, of Chicago, has denied that her son had anything to do with the deaths.

Jennifer Hudson was joined by Fantasia Barrino at an invite-only funeral service held at Chicago’s Apostolic Church of God, for her mother, brother and nephew on Monday.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Barrino sang Your Grace and Mercy, and called the Hudsons “my family,” as she walked of stage and into the aisle where she took Jennifer’s hand and sang to the Oscar-winning actress.

“I think it healed Jennifer’s soul just then,” family friend Lisa Allison told the Chicago Tribune.

The family will be buried at Oak Woods Cemetery on the South Side, the paper reported.

The three hour service, which was attended by hundreds of mourners, comes ten days after Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, her brother, Jason, 29, and 7-year-old nephew Julian King were fatally shot with a .45 caliber semiautomatic.

William Balfour, the ex-husband of Hudson’s sister, Julia, is being held as a “person of interest” in the case. Chicago Police say the murders are “domestic-related.”

The newest issue of Us Weekly reports that Hudson family members didn’t take Balfour’s threats seriously.

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As Jennifer Hudson stayed sequestered in her grief Sunday night and other family members attended a memorial service for three murdered relatives at her childhood church, New York friends told us Hudson has not been able to go inside the home where the tragic killings took place.

Shari Sweat, a cousin, told the assembled mourners at Pleasant Gift Memorial Baptist Church that Hudson’s mother Darnell Donerson, or “Doll” as she was known, had voted just before she was fatally shot with her son Jason. Their bodies were found Oct. 24 at Donerson’s house, and that of Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew Julian King three days later in Jason Hudson’s vehicle.

“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.

Julian’s young cousins sang “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” and the child’s second-grade teacher read from a classmate’s essay: “Julian was smart. I’m sad he didn’t get to be President of the United States.”

Sean Howard, a Chicago city official who accompanied family members to identify Julian, told the heartbroken church group, “When Jennifer and her family walked in, Jennifer was a pillar in that room. You have a true leader in your family in Jennifer.”

Hudson and her sister Julia, the boy’s mother and estranged wife of the suspect, William Balfour, were expected at the private funeral scheduled for today.

Hudson’s friend and mentor Andre Leon Talley, who like Hudson brought himself from poverty to stardom, in his case in the fashion world, told us that he and his boss at Vogue have reached out to her as she mourns.

“We’ve talked constantly,” Talley told us. “I’ve sent her many e-mails; I’ve sent her my support, and so has Anna Wintour. And she just says thank you, thank you, thank you. She wants everyone, all her fans, to know how much their support has meant to her. And she’s going to be all right. Jennifer has faith in God. They’re just praying, every day, every minute, for the strength to get through this. And she will - she’s a very strong girl.”

Still, Hudson, who had the world in her hands as she rose from American Idol to winning an Oscar for “Dreamgirls,” cannot yet bear to go inside the scene of the crime, Talley said.

“I believe she went back just once, to the gate, but didn’t go inside,” the style arbiter told us. “Right now she’s at an undisclosed location.”

Talley will no doubt try to see her this week. He told us at Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project benefit ball that he is headed to Chicago to work at a phone bank for Barack Obama in the election that was so important to Jennifer Hudson’s mother.

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Hundreds of friends and relatives gathered to mourn the deaths of Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother and 7-year-old nephew, at Pleasant Gift Memorial Baptist Church on Chicago’s South Side on Sunday.

At the public memorial, mourners listened to songs and recounted stories about Darnell Donerson, 57, Jason Hudson, 29, and Julian King, who were fatally shot last month.

Jennifer and her sister Julia Hudson were not in attendance.

Shari Sweat, a cousin of Donerson, spoke about how important the upcoming election was to her, the Associated Press reported.

“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.

Julian’s second-grade teacher, Carmen Williams of Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy, read from journals of his classmates, the AP reported.

“Julian was smart. I’m sad he didn’t get to be president of the United States,” Williams read.

Reverend Quentin Washington recalled being in the children’s choir at the church with Hudson’s brother, Jason.

“We had fun at church,” he said, according to the The Chicago Tribune.

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, the AP reported.

“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, Julia’s ex husband, is being held as a “person of interest” in the case. Chicago Police say the murders are “domestic-related.”

The newest issue of Us Weekly reports that Hudson family members didn’t take Balfour’s threats seriously.

Jennifer and her sister also created the Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims in the wake of the tragic deaths, according to a statement from Jennifer’s rep.

The foundation will provide care for the families who have lost relatives to a violent crime, including giving food, clothing, shelter and grief counseling.

Donations can be sent to:

Hudson-King Foundation:
c/o Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP
Attn: William L. Abrams, Esq.
237 West 35th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10001

(source)

A private memorial service will be held early next week for the mother, brother and nephew of Jennifer Hudson, who were shot to death in Chicago.

The Hudson Funeral Home announced the service will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Apostolic Church of God, according to the Chicago Tribune.

On Friday, a rep from the funeral home will announce if the family will hold a public service, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

William Balfour, the ex-husband of Hudson’s sister, Julia, is being held as a “person of interest” in the case. Chicago Police say the murders are “domestic-related.”

The newest issue of Us Weekly reports that Hudson family members didn’t take Balfour’s threats seriously.

Jennifer and Julia Hudson have established the Hudson-King foundation For Families of Slain Victims in honor of their family members.

“The specific purpose of the Foundation is to care for the needs of families who have lost relatives to a violent crimes,” according to a press release. “This encompasses their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter as well as grief counseling.

Donations to the Hudson-King Foundation:

c/o Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP
Attn: William L. Abrams, Esq.
237 West 35th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10001

(source)

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.