Recently, American Idol alum, Jennifer Hudson reunited with the show's judge Simon Cowell on her daytime talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show. There, they talked about her controversial elimination from season 3 back in 2004. Cowell was notably harsh on Hudson during the competition, declaring her "out of [her] depth."
Here's what they've unpacked about that time.
Simon Cowell Blames Song Choice For Jennifer Hudson's 'American Idol' Defeat
During the interview, Cowell acknowledged his tensed banter with Hudson on AI and clarified that he always thought she'd succeed.
"Why was the show so big in those days? It would be because of people like you. It's a combination of talent, determination, and real personality," he explained. "And even though we had that banter, you and I, it was always that. I always knew how determined you were. You were funny and you took it with grace because you kind of got it. I always thought that about you."
He also recalled the time Hudson was eliminated from the show and placed seventh. "That night I will never forget," he said. "Who chose stupid Barry Manilow week? It wasn't me. It was not a great song. Of course, it wasn't your fault and then, of course, what happened, happened." The Dreamgirls actress performed Manilow's Weekend In New England for her final performance.
Jennifer Hudson Doesn't Regret Her Song Choice In Her 'American Idol' Final Performance
Cowell also asked if Hudson would have changed her song choice that night. "And then I was thinking to myself a few days ago, 'If you were going to go back in time, would you change the song or would you have kept things as they were?'" he asked her. She said she wouldn't.
"No, but it's other songs before that that I would have changed 'cause that song led me to get Dreamgirls, honey," she said. "Barry Manilow structured that song as if it was And I Am Telling You and a lot of people thought that's what I was singing."
The Respect star also shared how she continued to pursue her passion after losing the competition. "By the time I was eliminated, I felt I had gotten an opportunity to display who I was as an artist, so I was okay with being eliminated," she shared.
"And then once I was, I was like, 'You know what, you're walking away with your talent, you're walking away with your gift. The competition may be over but your passion isn't, your love and your drive isn't.'"
What Jennifer Hudson Has Done Since 'American Idol'
Everything worked out for Hudson in the end. She just became the 17th person to win an EGOT this 2022 after getting a Tony Award for producing the Broadway show A Strange Loop. In 2007, she earned an Oscar for her performance in Dreamgirls.
In 2008 and 2009, she scored a couple of Grammys for Best Song Written for A Motion Picture for Love You I Do from Dreamgirls and Spotlight, a Top 40 hit from her debut album. In 2015, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of The Color Purple.
From 2017 to 2019, Hudson served as a judge and mentor on NBC's The Voice. After that, she starred in the box office bomb, Cats. In 2021, she played Aretha Franklin in the biopic, Respect. The Queen of Soul picked the Where You At performer herself. "Even when it was time to film, I was still freaking out in my mind about it. But because she had said, 'I want you to play me,' that gave me the courage to be able to get through it," Hudson previously told NME.
She also told New York Times that Franklin was a huge influence in her career. "Every artist, every musician, you've got to cross paths with Aretha, especially if you want to be great," she said of the icon. "She's always been present in my life in some form, even when I didn't know it." She added: "A lot of people have brilliant voices, but she's the only one who delivers songs the way she does. I don't think you become the Queen of Soul if you have an easy ride. There was a lived experience that allowed her to sing like that."
Now, at the age of 40, Hudson is the youngest woman to ever earn an EGOT status.
