Jennifer Hudson Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Idol: ‘Love You Always’

Seven years after R&B legend Aretha Franklin’s death, powerhouse singer Jennifer Hudson says it “still feels like yesterday.” The “American Idol” alum and former coach on “The Voice” marked the anniversary of Franklin’s death in an emotional social media post on August 16, 2025.

Hudson, who had grown very close with Franklin before her death at age 76, wrote in her post, “Still feels like yesterday we said goodbye to the Queen!!! @arethafranklin not only taught us how to sing, but how to live with purpose, and to keep climbing higher mountains no matter what obstacles we face!”

“I carry your voice with me every day,” Hudson added. “Love you always, Ms. Franklin. 💜👑”

Jennifer Hudson Was Handpicked by Aretha Franklin to Play Her in Biopic

Hudson auditioned for the third season of “American Idol” with Franklin’s “Share Your Love With Me” and placed seventh. She has become one of the show’s most successful alums as a singer, actress, and talk show host who reached EGOT status in 2022, and has often credited Franklin with inspiring and encouraging her over the years.

After Hudson won the 2007 best supporting actress Oscar for her role in “Dreamgirls,” Franklin handpicked Hudson to play her in a biopic, “Respect,” and they began a decade-long friendship that included weekly conversations, according to the New York Times.

“Every artist, every musician, you’ve got to cross paths with Aretha, especially if you want to be great,” she told the outlet in 2021, before the movie’s premiere. “She’s always been present in my life in some form, even when I didn’t know it.”

Hudson also performed “Amazing Grace” at Franklin’s funeral in 2018, and received a standing ovation for her powerful rendition.

Jennifer Hudson Was Among the Last People to Talk to Aretha Franklin Before Her 2018 Death

While promoting the release of the “Respect” biopic, Hudson revealed she was one of the last people to speak with Franklin before her death from pancreatic cancer. During an appearance on “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in 2021, she was asked what their last conversation was about.

“She told me what she had eaten,” Hudson told Colbert, and the audience laughed. “I don’t remember what that meal was, and then she sang to me on that call. I can’t remember the song. It was by the Isley Brothers and she said, ‘Jennifer, now that’s the Isley Brothers,’ and I said, ‘Yes, ma’am, I know.'”

Hudson continued, “And then, my son is a cook, too, so I ended up telling her about him cooking and sending her a video. Because she was so present. She always knew what was going on, even in my life.”

Hudson, whose talk show will begin its fourth season in September, also told Colbert that Franklin was “still with me, almost every day in some way.”

She explained, “Sometimes, while taking pictures with someone, I’m like, ‘Oh wow, I’m smiling like Aretha.’ Or, ‘That response was more Aretha-like.’ You identify little things like that in yourself that are still there.”