We don't want to suggest that Hollywood won't cast Jennifer Hudson because she experienced horrific personal tragedy. Rather, it's worth noting that the star's attention has been focused on the monumental task of enduring in the wake of great sorrow — not picking the right gown for a red carpet stroll.

In October 2008, while celebrating her debut solo album's success, Hudson was rocked by news that her 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donnerson, and 29-year-old brother, Jason Hudson, had been murdered at their home in Chicago. Her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was later found shot dead in an abandoned vehicle. William Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, Julia, and father of Julian, was charged with the murders and sentenced in 2012 to life behind bars.

Despite the horrific tragedy, the singer told Oprah in 2012 that she had learned to forgive her family's killer. "For the most part, it's not his fault," she said (via Today). "It's what he was taught, how he was brought up." She added. "Had you had the love my mother gave us, or the background, you know, that some have, then [he] would've stood a chance."

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7XCpKCsr5mbwW%2BvzqZmbmxma4ZwtM6lo7Kvn6SxbsPOp6tmm5GowW62xKelop6Vp3qpwcOspqdlkaPGrrvRnmY%3D