Chronicling trends in entertainment, pop culture, politics, the arts, and the uncategorized et cetera.

Shallow Nation

October 24th, 2008 at 9:12 pm

Jennifer Hudson’s Mother and Brother Shot to Death in Chicago

Jennifer Hudson with her mother Darnell Hudson Donerson

Tragic news. Academy Award winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and older brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death in their South Side Chicago home today, October 24, 2008.

The family’s pastor identified the mother as Darnell Hudson, although public records also indicate her name is Darnell Donnerson. The brother was identified as Jason Hudson.

Donnerson’s grandson, 7-year-old Julian King, is missing — taken from the house in the Englewood neighborhood, Chicago police said. He was in a white 1994 Chevrolet Suburban SUV with Illinois license plate X584859, police said.

Police identified a suspect in the double murder — William Balfour — who might be with the child. Balfour is “considered armed and dangerous,’’ according to a police alert issued Friday evening. Balfour might be driving the Suburban or a Teal/Green Chrysler Concord with a left headlight hanging loose, the alert said. There is also a scratch on the left side of the vehicle, which has a temporary tag of 332K823.

Balfour, 27, was paroled in 2006 after convictions for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and receiving stolen property, state records show.

“These are such difficult times,’’ said the family’s pastor, the Rev. Willie R. Davis, of the Progessive Baptist Church. “To lose a mother and a brother at one time — and then to lose them under these circumstances would be difficult for anyone. We just have to wait until the opportunity permits that we can sit down with them and have prayer. Jennifer is a very strong lady. She is deep-rooted in her faith. We know that through it all, she will get through.”

Source: Jennifer Hudson’s mother, brother slain on S. Side

Jennifer Hudson with her mother Darnell Hudson Donerson

TMZ has been posting continuous updates on the story. See: Jennifer Hudson’s Mother Found Dead – TMZ.com

Here is a video report.

According to reports, Jennifer Hudson was not in Chicago at the time of the shooting and is flying to Chicago.

The singer, whose father died when she was a teenager, described herself as very close to her family. In a recent AP interview she said her family, which includes older siblings Julia and Jason, helped keep her grounded.

“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, (so she says), ‘You get up and you take care of your own stuff.’ And I love that; I don’t like when people tell you everything you want to hear, I want to hear the truth, you know what I mean.”

Source: Popeater – Mother and Brother of Jennifer Hudson Are Killed in Shooting

The Oscar winner’s latest movie, The Secret Life of Bees (based on Sue Monk Kidd’s bestselling novel of the same title) was just released in theaters October 17, 2008, with co-stars Jennifer Hudson costars with Alicia Keys Hudson, Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, and Sophie Okonedo.

Our deepest condolences to Jennifer Hudson and her family.

Photos: Jennifer Hudson with her mother Darnell Donerson at the Dreamgirls premiere, December 2006 (Photo credit: WireImage)