JENNIFER HUDSON DISCUSSES BREAKING UP WITH HER LONGTIME BOYFRIEND AFTER BECOMING A HOUSEHOLD NAME

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When Jennifer Hudson was first introduced to the world through “American Idol,” she was in a long-term relationship with her childhood friend James. Sadly, their love didn’t survive the fame and fortune.

“Yeah, I grew up with him… His name was James. We used to call him ‘Bear, Bear,’” she told Necole Bitchie. “But he was my childhood sweetheart. He has a baby now. He moved to somewhere else. So that’s all I know about him now. Yeah, we all grew up together.”

Though she wouldn’t disclose what actually caused their split, the “Spotlight” singer dispelled rumors that her success had something to do with it.
“I think [him proposing if I won an Oscar] was a made up story at the time.”

“When we broke up, it wasn’t the fame,” she continued. “I don’t want to put his business out there. It ain’t my place to tell. And maybe that’s a part of the private side to Jennifer but I just like to give people their respect to be honest. And he’s kind of like family to this day and I’m not going to put him on blast. I’m not going to do him like that.”

She did, however, share that she’s the one who called off the 8-year relationship.


“It was my choice [to breakup]. Definitely. But it was nothing new or foreign like nothing out of the blue like he didn’t know what was going on. It had nothing to do with my fame at all. It was not an issue pertaining to that.”

And while she doesn’t credit fame for the demise of her relationship with James, she did share that it makes building something meaningful a bit challenging.


“It is difficult with [this] type of lifestyle and being a strong woman and being in any type of relationship. Which I’ve eventually come to learn when dealing with people. Or males at times have issues when they are with a successful woman. Or even, it’s weird. And I mean that in general. Across the board. It’s something I’ve noticed in a lot of situations when it comes to successful women or strong women.”