by Jamie Foster Brown (excerpted from the July 2009 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine) 
 

I got a chance to catch Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke’s wonderful concert when their tour came through Washington, D.C. The audience was filled with recognizable faces such as Donnie Simpson, Washington Wizards forward Caron Butler and his wife, and Chef Lois Spencer from two of D.C.’s hottest upscale nightspots, Love and Park at 14th. (Both are owned by Marc Barnes, a Black man! Marc and his business partner Taz are the stars of TV One’s reality show “Party Boyz.”)
 

Jennifer came out looking great in her all-black ensemble. She sang songs from her latest album. When she sang “You Pulled Me Through,” you could tell that she drew out emotions from deep within her soul. It was very, very moving.
 

Jennifer also paid homage to the women of R&B by singing their songs. She sang Aretha Franklin’s “Giving Him Something He Can Feel” and Whitney Houston’s “You Give Good Love.” Jennifer really commands the stage. And a group of happy guys were down front, sopping her up like biscuits to gravy.
Jennifer was really engaged with the audience. At one point she gave the mic to a female audience member to let her sing part of one song. She even let the audience come up to the edge of the stage to touch her hand over and over again. You could tell she really respects and loves her fans. Jennifer also performed her Dreamgirls hits “And I Am Telling You” (of course, the crowd went crazy for that) and “I Am Changing.”
 

I went backstage with celebrity stylist Harvey Washington after the concert. Harvey had just done a total makeover on J-Hud’s sister Julia.
 

I went to see Jennifer after the show to give her a beautiful pair of high-heel pumps and foot jewelry. The heels weren’t too high because she’s not trying to rock 5- and 6-inch heels—not with the way she moves across the stage. Jennifer said, “You came bearing gifts!” I dressed her foot with the jewelry designed by Ecko. She loved it. It was great to get to hug and kiss that little face after all that she’s been through. Her handsome assistant and longtime friend Walter Williams has really done a great job in holding her together and comforting her through the loss of her dearest family members.

Rumor has it that Jennifer and her fiancé David "Punk" Otunga might be expecting their first child. It isn’t confirmed, but I’m 99% sure that she is.