Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American recording artist, actress and model. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of the Fox reality television series American Idol. She made her film debut in the 2006 film Dreamgirls and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, as well as a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, an NAACP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She won a Grammy Award for her eponymous debut album, Jennifer Hudson, which was released in 2008 on Arista Records and soon certified gold by the RIAA. The album has sold over 700,000 copies in the US and over 1 million worldwide. Additionally it spawned the hit single "Spotlight". In late 2008, Hudson's mother, brother, and nephew were killed in a shooting. Her estranged brother-in-law has been charged with their murders. Soon after, Hudson stepped out of the limelight for three months. Hudson resumed her public appearances in 2009, and has since performed at the Super Bowl XLIII, the Grammy Awards, American Idol, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.[1] Hudson has been described as a friend of President Barack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in May 2009.[2] She also recently performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement.