Saying she’s “in a very good place” emotionally, Jennifer Hudson has given her first full-fledged interview since losing three family members to murder. The award-winning actress and singer told Oprah Winfrey that she’s glad to be doing what she loves, performing after months of grief. “It’s like therapy,” Hudson told Winfrey of the decision to resume her career. Hudson’s mother, brother and nephew were all found shot to death within two days last fall, causing the singer to cancel appearances and go into seclusion. Hudson, whose engagement was announced before the tragedy, says she’s moving forward with her wedding plans. She also sang for Winfrey’s studio audience Friday in the latest of a series of February events. Hudson’s estranged brother-in-law has been charged with the killings. He has denied any involvement.

The attorney representing the man charged with killing Jennifer Hudson’s family members has quit, The Chicago Sun-Times reports. Ironically, in recent weeks the judge presiding over the case granted the defendant, William Balfour, the right to move closer to Chicago, so he could be closer to his attorney, Joshua Kutnick. The lawyer did say, however, that he believes that Balfour is innocent of charges that he shot to death the Oscar Award-winning singer’s mother, brother and nephew in their Chicago home in October. Kutnick told the Sun-Times that he cannot afford to take on the load of such a high-profile case by himself. “It’s the kind of case that involves intense hours,” Kutnick said, reportedly after breaking the news to Balfour’s mother. “I was gathering all resources, but I couldn’t finance it.” Following Kutnick’s request, his 27-year-old client was transferred from the Statesville Correctional Center in Joliet, Ill., to the Cook County Jail late last month. The public defender’s office has now appointed a new attorney to his case. Balfour has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion. There is no forensic evidence to tie Balfour to the murders, Kutnick said earlier.

Booty Call Texts Starts Fight
Sources are claiming Chris Brown received a text message which ignited the altercation last Sunday. Read more! 
 
T-Pain Partners With Apple
Apple and T-Pain are pairing up for an Auto-Tune application on the iPhone. Get details here! 
 

Hudson Makes Return
Jennifer Hudson is set to hit the road with Robin Thicke this spring. Find out when and where she’s performing, here!

J-Hud Has Another Gig Lined Up
Jennifer Hudson, coming off a smashing performance of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday, has announced another venture back into the public spotlight, which will be only her second since her mother, brother and nephew were slain in October. She will perform at the 40th NAACP Image Awards on Feb 12. The 27-year-old Oscar winner was well received at the NFL championship game in Tampa. 

Halle and Gabe Want More Babies
Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry are planning on having a brother and sister for Nahla Ariela, the couple’s only child, People.com reported Monday. “She needs a sibling,” Aubry told People at Monday’s Callaway Golf Foundation Challenge at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., to benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “I think it’s important. …”I’ve never known anybody who’s had a single child [and] I’ve always been around big families. I believe in big families.” So what does Berry think about this? “She’s okay with it,” he said. “Absolutely.” Read more at Entertainment Spotlight.

 Oscar-Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson’s brother-in-law pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges he shot to death her mother and brother and the 7-year-old nephew. Twenty-seven-year-old William Balfour, who is married to Jennifer Hudson’s sister, Julia Hudson, is charged with killing his sisters’ mother, Darnell Donerson, their brother, Jason Hudson, and Julia Hudson’s 7-year-old son, Julian King. Read the rest here.

Forest Whitaker to Announce Oscar Winners
Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker will announce this year’s Academy Award nominations Thursday morning, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced, People magazine reports. Whitaker, who won the best actor award in 2007 for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland, will unveil nominations for 10 of the 24 award categories along with AMPAS President Sid Ganis. The 81st Annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC on Feb. 22 from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

J-Hud is Gradually Coming Back
Jennifer Hudson, after a three-month hibernation period following the murder of her family members, is gradually climbing back onto the scene. In late October, the Oscar-winning, former American Idol lost her mother, brother and nephew to a crazed gunman.  Hudson, 27, has been nominated for three Grammy awards and will perform at the awards show next month. She is nominated for best R&B album for her self-titled album, best female R&B vocal performance, and best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for her duet with Fantasia, “I’m His Only Woman.” On Feb. 1, Hudson will perform the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.

Rap label goes for $18 million.  Rap label Death Row Records has been auctioned for the second time since last year this week, landing in the hands of Canada’s Wide Awake Holdings for $18 million. The bankrupt company went to a wealthy hairdresser at auction last year, but funding-related issues undermined the deal’s completion. Among actual souvenirs that remain up for sale at a second auction next week are Source magazine awards that hung in the office, cigars that belonged to label boss Suge Knight, original paintings, computers and office furniture that adorned the space once frequented by Dr. Dre, Tupac and Snoop Dogg.Jennifer Hudson will perform at NFL championship. Fans of Oscar-winning singer Jennifer Hudson will get a treat next month at Super Bowl XLIII when she hits the public stage for the first time in months. Hudson, who was falsely rumored to be a singer at Barack Obama’s inauguration, returns to the spotlight for the NFL championship after suffering a family tragedy. Hudson’s mom, brother and nephew were all found shot to death in Chicago last fall. The singer’s estranged brother-in-law has been charged with the crimes and has pleaded not guilty. Hudson will perform the National Anthem as part of the big game’s superstar entertainment lineup.

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
What happened between De-Haven and Hov that caused a firestorm of disparaging remarks between the two? Read now!

 
Hudson to Sing at Super Bowl
Jennifer Hudson will return to the scene for the first time since the family tragedy at this year’s football classic. Read on.

 
Dipset Better Off Without Cam’ron?
How do Jim Jones, Juelz Santana and Freekey Zekey feel about Cam’ron? Find out now!

 Five people at Jennifer Hudson’s South-side Chicago alma mater were shot in an apparent drive-by attack as they left a crowded basketball game Friday night.  Authorities said that five males – two in critical condition and three in serious condition – were taken from Paul Laurence Dunbar Vocational Career Academy to the hospital. Read details here.

Jennifer Hudson Could Sing at Inauguration
President-elect Barack Obama’s Inauguration team is trying to woo Jennifer Hudson to sing the National Anthem at the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, The New York Post reports. The performance would be her first appearance since the October murders of her mother, brother and nephew. “Organizers want Jennifer to sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at the Inauguration on Jan. 20,” a source told Page Six. “They are talking to Jennifer about it. It would be the first time she performed since the murders. She is from Chicago and a huge Obama supporter.” It wouldn’t be her first high-profile performance of the National Anthem. The Grammy winner and former “American Idol” contestant also sang the song at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August.

Will Smith is Indeed a Money Man
Will Smith made more money for movie theaters in 2008 than any other actor, according to the annual survey by Quigley Publishing Co. The star of such films as “Hancock” and “Seven Pounds” is only the second Black actor to be chosen in the poll, which over the past three-quarters of a century has asked movie theaters to vote on the 10 stars who generated the most business. Sidney Poitier garnered the honor in 1968. Smith’s superhero summer blockbuster, “Hancock,” grossed $228 million. “Seven Pounds,” currently in theaters, has pulled in a lackluster $39 million in two weeks. Following Smith, in order, were Robert Downey Jr. (”Iron Man,” “Tropic Thunder”), Christian Bale (”The Dark Knight”), Shia LaBeouf (”Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”) and LaBeouf’s “Indiana Jones” co-star Harrison Ford.