All The Men Who Have Dated Jennifer Hudson Over The Years

Jennifer Hudson is one of the most beloved celebrities in pop culture today. Interestingly, Hudson has had a very measured approach to relationships throughout her life. So far, the singer has only had three publicized relationships throughout her career. Prior to Hudson's "American Idol" fame, she had a long term relationship with her high school sweetheart, James Payton. The couple was together from 1999 to 2007.

Shortly after the breakup with Payton, Hudson began dating WWE wrestler David Otunga. Hudson and Otunga got engaged in 2008 and had one son, David Daniel Otunga Jr. Unfortunately, they never managed to make it down the aisle, and broke up in 2017. As for what led to Hudson and Otunga's broken engagement, there are many possible reasons, including allegations that Otunga cheated on Hudson with a music producer and displayed troubling violent behavior.

As of this writing, Hudson is now in a relationship with Common. The two were first rumored to be dating in 2022 while filming the movie "Breathe," but did not publicly confirm their relationship until 2024. Common was a guest on "The Jennifer Hudson Show," and the pair jokingly discussed how happy they were with each other without directly naming who they were dating. There could be no confusion, though, when Common mentioned that his girlfriend was an EGOT winner.

Outside of her relationships with Common, David Otunga, and James Payton, Jennifer Hudson has not had any other notable connections. Despite all those rumors sparked because of their on-screen chemistry in the film "Respect," she has never dated Marlon Wayans. Instead, both Hudson and Wayans have maintained that their relationship was platonic and professional. In fact, Hudson credited Wayans for his help with getting her talk show off the ground.

Hudson was also rumored to have dated the NFL player Kerry Rhodes, but those rumors were also never confirmed. The two were pictured together at a fashion event in 2007, but there appears to be no other evidence of their alleged relationship from that time. Given that Hudson was also in a major transition period during that year as she had just won the Oscar for her role in "Dream Girls," it makes sense that there would have been a lot of buzz about anyone she was seen with. Nevertheless, Hudson has remained very private about her love life since her rise to fame.