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Jennifer Hudson still feels as though her mother and grandmother are alive thanks to them instilling powerful beliefs in her.
The American singer and actress' life was plagued with tragedy in 2008 when her mum Darnell and her brother Jason were shot dead, and her nephew's body was found a few days later after he had gone missing. Her brother-in-law was eventually arrested and charged with three accounts of first degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison.
Jennifer, who has son David, six, with fiancé David Otunga, is now stronger than ever having moved on from the difficult time with a clearer outlook on life.
"My whole life, through the good things, the bad things, I know nothing is guaranteed," she told America's Glamour magazine. "I've seen the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows and everything in between... But what my mother, my grandmother, and all the powerful women in my family instilled in us - our faith, and how to make it on our own - carries me through. It's like they are very much still here. I would've never guessed I would be that person (who people call Mama Hud). But I love it."
Her strength has proved beneficial for her latest acting stint. She's set to star in Spike Lee's black comedy movie Chiraq later this year (15), named after the South Side of Chicago. The area is known for its war-zone level violence and Jennifer's alter ego Irene sees her daughter killed by a stray bullet. For the 34-year-old star, the storyline hit home hard.
"There's a scene where we're all holding up boards with (photos of) our slain children on them. I turned around, and it's a sea of real women (as extras) holding pictures of children they actually lost," she explained. "I'm a character holding a picture of a little girl, but in real life I have the same story."