Entertainment News

Now that Randy Jackson has officially left American Idol and the rumors have been swirling about the rest of the judges being fired, we’re left to wonder who will be taking their places.

Jennifer Hudson became famous as a finalist on the third season of the show, so it may make sense for her to return as a judge. She knows the process and despite the fact that she lost to Fantasia Barrino, she still managed to make a huge name for herself.

Rumor has it that Jennifer is currently in the middle of negotiations to become part of the show. An insider said, “She got the offer and her reps are currently negotiating with Fremantle. The show’s producers feel they’ve lost their core audience. And they want to bring back former contestants in order to tell their core audience ‘We love you.’ They know they’ve made some major mistakes over the past few seasons and they want to make it right with their fans.”

Also said to be considering a judge’s spot on the show is season one American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.

What do you think of Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson returning to the show as judges? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Also, tell us: If not Jennifer or Kelly, then who should be seated at the judges’ table for season 13?

Jennifer Hudson lost a metric ton of weight using Weight Watchers and when Jessica Simpson signed on, she probably thought she was passing the torch onto someone who was serious about dropping the pounds. For four million dollars, you would think that Jessica would’ve been losing the weight like gangbusters.

She came out with her first commercial for the weight loss company and it was quite lackluster. For a commercial in which everyone wanted to see her progress, they only showed her face. So it’s natural to think that Jennifer would agree with us that it was nothing but a joke.

A source said, “Jennifer is frustrated with Jess and how she’s handled her weight loss fiasco. She thinks Jess’ stab at dieting has been a colossal joke. Jen said that Jessica still looks fat despite an enormous $4 million incentive to lose weight. Jennifer has reportedly been a great support system for Jessica, calling her multiple times a day and FedExing her diet diary to Jess.”

The source added, “Jennifer thinks Jess has been lazy and not serious about getting fit. Jessica obviously didn’t put in the work. She’s written Jessica off as a total mess. Jennifer is definitely having the last laugh.”

On Saturday, we lost Whitney Houston at the young age of 48. During Sunday’s Grammy Awards ceremony, Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to Whitney by singing her trademark song, I Will Always Love You (Read the full story here). She did a fantastic job in paying homage to Whitney and performed well considering she was given less than a day to rehearse.

In a new interview, Jennifer said that she has acknowledge that Whitney’s death has really taken an emotional toll on her. She went on to say that she hasn’t been able to stop the tears since learning the tragic news of Whitney’s untimely passing.

She told Us Weekly, “It was the greatest honor of my life to be able to be the one to pay tribute to Whitney’s memory. It was from my heart. I haven’t stopped crying since she passed. Her family is in my prayers.”

Whitney was discovered in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Saturday. She was said to have passed away as a result of Xanax combined with alcohol consumption. Her funeral is set for Saturday with a private viewing set for later today. Also of note is that her funeral is reportedly going to be live-streamed on the internet on Saturday. Will you be tuning in?

Another report states that Kevin Costner will speak at her funeral and Aretha Franklin will perform, with Marvin Winans eulogizing the late singer. Oprah Winfrey is also on the list of invitees.

Photo Credit: Hall/Pena, PacificCoastNews.com

On last night’s Grammy Awards, the show opened with a prayer for Whitney Houston. Near the end of the show, Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to the singer with a song that Whitney catapulted to the top of the charts, I Will Always Love You. See the video here, in case you’ve missed it.

It was a touching tribute to an icon, even though some have said that perhaps Jennifer shouldn’t have been the one to do it. Now, the song’s creator, Dolly Parton, reacted to the performance and to Whitney’s untimely death.

She said, “I was brought to tears again last night, as I’m sure many were, when Jennifer Hudson sang, I Will Always Love You on the Grammys in memory of Whitney. Like everybody else, I am still in shock. But I know that Whitney will live forever in all the great music that she left behind. I will always have a very special piece of her in the song we shared together and had the good fortune to share with the world. Rest in peace, Whitney. Again, we will always love you.”

What did you think of Jennifer Hudson’s tribute at the Grammy Awards? Should Dolly Parton have sung their signature song? Sound off in the comments and let us know your thoughts!

Photo Credit: © Enrique RC, PacificCoastNews.com

Jennifer Hudson tried to pull it together and stay strong for her tribute to legendary singer Whitney Houston earlier today during rehearsals, but some things are easier said than done.

At the last minute, Jennifer was called upon to pay a “respectful musical tribute” to the singer, who passed away just yesterday.

She showed up for the rehearsals in Los Angeles today to sing Whitney’s trademark song, I Will Always Love You. A source said that she “began sobbing hysterically”, adding, “She had to restart several times before making it through.”

Reportedly, Chaka Khan will also take the stage with Jennifer for her tribute to the iconic singer. The source revealed, “All stars have been accommodating. No one has batted an eye or been a diva. People are trying to be upbeat.”

Grammys Executive Producer, Ken Erhlich, siad, “It’s too fresh in everyone’s memory to do more at this time, but we would be remiss if we didn’t recognize Whitney’s remarkable contribution to music fans in general, and, in particular, her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years.”

Stay tuned for the video when it’s uploaded.

Update: Chaka Khan just tweeted that she is not performing tonight. She said, “As I grieve the loss of my friend and “little sister,” I don’t feel it appropriate to perform at this time. Continue to pray for the family.”

Update: Watch the video below:

Photo Credit: Koi Sojer, PacificCoastNews.com

It was rumored last month that former American Idol singer Jennifer Hudson was considered for the role of Precious in the movie of the same name. The role was given to acting newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, but it was reported that Jennifer turned the movie down. Particularly, that she rejected the role because she didn’t want to gain weight for the titular role.

In her memoir, she commented that she wanted to take a role which had nothing to do with her weight. TMZ caught up with Jennifer and she said, “I did not turn down the role because of the weight thing. I turned it down because I felt it was just too graphic for me at that time.”

TMZ has more:

Hudson’s explanation seems to contradict what she told “Dateline” earlier this week (below) … when Jennifer said she passed because, “I would have had to be the big girl again.”

When Lester Holt asked if her decision to turn down “Precious” was motivated by fear of being typecast as a heavy actress … Hudson said, “I don’t like the idea of being boxed into anything.”

Do you think she should have taken the role of Precious? Would she have done the part as much justice as Gabourey Sidibe? Sound off in the comments with your thoughts!

Photo Credit: PacificCoastNews.com

Jennifer Hudson has revealed that she rejected the role of the abused single mom in Precious because she didn’t want to gain weight for the role.

Right after her Oscar win for Dreamgirls, the movie’s director, Lee Daniels, approached her to play the character. She told him that she wasn’t interested in the part, which went to Gabourey Sidibe.

In her memoir, I Got This: How I Changed My Ways And Lost What Weighed Me Down, she wrote, “As much as I was moved by this film, I wanted to try a role that had nothing whatsoever to do with my weight.”

I can’t say that I blame her. She has worked hard for all of the weight loss that she has achieved. Would you gain weight for a movie role? Especially after losing so much of it already? Tell us in the comments!