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Jennifer Hudson's Nephew Found Murdered

By Robert Paul Reyes

"Just a month ago, a bubbly Jennifer Hudson - who had been striking gold with just about everything she touched - was running down the list of all the projects that she expected would soon dominate her life.

Already an Oscar-winning actress, the 25-year-old was about to release her first album, which would become an instant best-seller, and a new movie, "The Secret Life of Bees." But the entertainer saw so much more in her future.

But on Monday, Hudson's priority was to identify the body of a child believed to be her 7-year-old nephew Julian - apparently the third victim in a killing spree that had already claimed her mother and brother. She had identified their bodies a couple of days before." The Associated Press/NEKESA MUMBI MOODY

Life has many unexpected twists and turns -- fortune smiles on Jennifer Hudson and the Burger King employee and cruise ship singer becomes an American Idol finalist. Hudson refuses to sink back into obscurity after coming up short, and she goes on to have a brilliant career as a singer and actress.

Hudson is a role model to millions of girls and young women who've been told that they are too fat and unattractive to achieve greatness. Hudson reached for the stars and she became one of the brightest stars in the Hollywood constellation.

But even the famous and wealthy must undergo trials and tribulations, and Jennifer has been dealt a horrible blow. When we lose a family member at least we can grieve in private, but Hudson doesn't have that luxury. The media is an insatiable beast -- reporters besiege the Hudson family for interviews and information.

I hope the press gives Jennifer and her family a little breathing room, a pushy media will only exacerbate an already intolerable situation.

Hudson's fans can support Jennifer by posting uplifting comments online. It may be a few months before Hudson sings or makes any personal appearances, but I'm confident that she has the strength and grit to come roaring back after she's had time to deal with this calamity.

Robert Paul Reyes is a NewsBlaze writer on Politics, Pop Culture and Pointless Pontificating. Contact him by writing to NewsBlaze.