Jennifer Hudson’s American Idol Season 3 Highlights
One of the most infamous moments in American Idol history is the early exit of Jennifer Hudson in season 3, and, as she achieves EGOT status, it is time to revisit her highlights from the singing competition show. American Idol season 3 premiered on January 19, 2004, and featured a 22-year-old Jennifer, affectionately called «JHud» by her fans, who auditioned in Atlanta with Aretha Franklin's «Share Your Love With Me.» The American Idol judges (Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell) all voted «yes,» and she earned her ticket to Hollywood. Jennifer would go on to earn rave reviews for playing Aretha in the 2021 film Respect, which she also executive produced.
Jennifer placed seventh on American Idol, but went on to be one of the most successful artists from the show. However, at the time of the competition, Simon did not see Jennifer as a star at first. At one point, he even went so far as to tell her that she was out of her depth in the competition, and did not have a chance of winning. However, Jennifer changed his mind later in the season. After she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for portraying Effie White in the film Dreamgirls, Simon admitted that he was wrong about her. Jennifer has since earned EGOT status, earning two Grammy Awards (one in 2009 for Best R&B Album, for her self-titled album, and the other in 2017, for Best Musical Theater Album for The Color Purple). She also won the 2021 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Interactive Media for a Daytime Program Award, for Baba Yaga, which she executive produced. She also voiced the character of the enchanted Forest. She completed her EGOT at the 2022 Tony Awards, after her win as a producer of the Broadway musical, A Strange Loop.
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