Jennifer Hudson has responded with a viral video following backlash to her NBA All-Star halftime show.
On Sunday, the singer and actress took to the stage at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 42-year-old sang some of her biggest hits during the five-minute show, with the arena wildly applauding Hudson.
However, viewers watching the game at home seemed less impressed. Many blasted the American Idol star's set on social media, dubbing her performance a "snooze fest."
Still, Hudson appears to be taking the criticism in her stride, posting a highlight reel of the 2024 All-Star weekend to Instagram on Wednesday. The video has received over 122,000 views at the time of writing.
The clip shows Hudson preparing for the 2024 Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday, where she played for ESPN host Stephen A. Smith's team.
The video also included moments from the red carpet before Hudson hit the court, as well as the star greeting fans and warming up with teammate and former Backstreet Boys star AJ McLean.
Snippets of Hudson's halftime show were also featured, along with footage of her during the game and posing with the Chicago Bulls' mascot.
The video was soundtracked to her track "I Got This," with fans praising the songstress in the comments.
"Our superstar," said Wesley Taylor.
"Living Legend," agreed Nick Gallo.
"Your performance was AMAZING!" said Renay Shields.
"You killed it the whole weekend!!!" said Sophia Lynne.
"Incredible," said Amber Joy Olney. "So proud of you Jennifer!!!"
Fans also hit out at Hudson's critics on Sunday, with X user LaShaye writing: "No Jennifer Hudson slander will be tolerated!"
"Y'all need to leave Jennifer Hudson alone," agreed @Goldenapolis, claiming: "You whippersnappers never show the OGs love."
Newsweek has reached out to Jennifer Hudson for comment via email.
Hudson donned a purple and black jumpsuit for the performance, bejeweled with the number 17. The figure is a nod to Hudson's recent EGOT status, with the "Spotlight" singer becoming the 17th person to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.
Hudson won an Academy Award in 2007 for her role as Effie White in Dream Girls, followed by a Grammy win for her album, Jennifer Hudson, in 2009.
The film star landed a Daytime Emmy in 2021 for her work as a producer on Baba Yaga. The short, interactive fairy tale was created for the VR headset Oculus Quest.
Hudson also received a Tony award in 2022 after adapting Douglas Hofstadter's 2007 novel A Strange Loop for Broadway.
2022 was a good year for Hudson, with her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in Respect winning her Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the 2022 NAACP Image Awards.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
