Super Bowl Stage Lonely for Hudson

Actress performs for first time since family murders

On one of the grandest stages in sports, Jennifer Hudson will make her bittersweet return to the spotlight when she sings the national anthem at the Super Bowl. 

The Chicago native has maintained a low profile since her 57-year-old mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson; 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson; and 7-year-old nephew Julian King were killed in their South Side home in October. Her estranged brother-in-law has been charged with the murders.

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.

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.

Hudson 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.

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