Jennifer Hudson

By now everyone has heard about Jennifer Hudson's family tragedy, and if not, here's a recap -- her mother and brother were murdered in her mother's house in south side Chicago, and her nephew was kidnapped and found dead from multiple gunshot wounds in her brother's car, which the murderer had stolen. There was an Amber Alert out for Jennifer's nephew Julian King, whose mother is Julia, Jennifer's sister. Julia's myspace has a message talking about the murder of her son, and the only potential "suspect" is her estranged husband, William Balfour - who has not been formally named a suspect, but is back on jail for a "parole violation."

So, three people murdered, including a 7 year old child in the South Side of Chicago. Is this national, or worldwide news? It is now - if only because of Jennifer Hudson's celebrity status. Jennifer was a contestant of American Idol and really shined in Dreamgirls, winning an Oscar for her performance, and landed roles in Sex and the City and the Secret Life of Bees. However, would this triple homicide be news in Chicago, or be mentioned multiple times in the span of five days, if it did not have a celebrity connection? Unfortunately, the South Side is not known for being a safe neighborhood, quite the opposite. It is rumored that William is also a gang member, and his father is in prison for 30 years for murder, and William has also spent time in prison for attempted murder. So - Would this have been on national news if the family had no celebrity connections?


Photo respectably borrowed from Stuff.co.nz