Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga’s relationship seemed so promising when the Oscar-winning actress sought out the Harvard Law graduate. When they finally met, they hit it off immediately. After an engagement and a baby, their whirlwind romance came to an end in 2017. So what went wrong? This is a story of tragedy, cheating allegations, and crazy accusations.
Here’s the real reason Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga’s relationship didn’t last.
Falling in love with ‘Punk’
Jennifer first noticed David when he appeared under the nickname “Punk” on VH1’s I Love New York 2. He told Wendy Williams that after the show wrapped, he began connecting with different people in the industry. One of his new friends told him, “Hey, you should meet my friend Jennifer.”
He and the American Idol contestant finally met sometime in early 2008. On September 12, 2008, which just so happened to be Jennifer’s 27th birthday, David proposed to her with a Neil Lane diamond engagement ring.
David Otunga saved Jennifer Hudson’s life
One month later, Jennifer wanted to go visit her mom in Chicago for the weekend, but David asked her to visit him out in Florida instead. She decided to go spend time with her new fiance, and that same weekend, her mom, brother, and nephew lost their lives at the hands of Jennifer’s brother-in-law. She told Ebony (via People magazine) that David saved her life because if it weren’t for him, she probably would’ve been at home with her mom when the incident took place.
Dealing with the loss of her family members was the most devastating thing she had to go through, and David remained supportive and loving throughout it all. On the day her brother-in-law was sentenced to life behind bars, David planned a trip for them to visit a Six Flags amusement park to keep her mind off of things, NY Daily News reports.
The arrival of David Jr.
In 2009, there were rumors that Jennifer was pregnant, but she refused to confirm whether she was expecting. Instead, she released a statement in August 2009, announcing the birth of David Otunga Jr.
Aww… and their lives were complete… or so we thought. Look at that body language in the above photo. *Cringe*
A delay in Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga’s wedding plans
She and David had allegedly planned to tie the knot in October 2010, but an insider said the wedding was canceled. The source also stated they weren’t even sure if the couple would ever tie the knot.
After welcoming their son into the world, the media began to question them even more about their wedding plans. During a 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer looked visibly annoyed when David crashed her interview. And when the talk show host began asking when their wedding would take place, Jennifer grew more and more uncomfortable. If looks could kill…
They told Oprah they had set a date and that she would be invited to the ceremony. And that same year, David told People magazine he and Jennifer were “very excited” for their big day.
A solo JHud
But the years passed by, and when 2014 rolled around, David seemingly disappeared from Jennifer’s life. He was a no-show at her album release party in New York, and she posed alone on the red carpet at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy party… and at the Tony Awards… and at the BET Awards. David also skipped J Hud’s performance at a charity event that year.
Jennifer added more speculation about relationship troubles during a September 2014 appearance on the Wendy Williams Show. She said she didn’t believe in divorce so she wanted to be “completely sure” before they took things to the next level. But she did reveal that she had gifted David a ring for his birthday so everyone could know he was taken.
Ciara & Russell Wilson’s wedding inspired her
She did have wedding fever on occasion though, especially after attending Ciara and Russell Wilson’s nuptials in England in 2016. Jennifer told Essence magazine their wedding “inspired something,” and seeing all of her friends get married made her think that maybe it was time for her to walk down the aisle too.
BTW — you can catch up on CiCi and Russ’s love story here.
More speculation about Jennifer Hudson and David Otunga’s relationship
Even Ellen DeGeneres thought something fishy was going on with Jennifer and David during Jennifer’s April 2017 appearance (via Us Weekly). By that point, they had been engaged for almost nine years. When Ellen asked why she wasn’t in a rush to get married, Jennifer said, “I’m not in a hurry. He’s not going anywhere.”
Ellen wasn’t buying it. So she asked the singer if she and David were “happy and in love,” and Jennifer simply replied: “Yes.”
An unsurprising breakup
Seven months after her appearance on Ellen, their breakup was announced via People magazine. But not only that, Jennifer was given full custody of their son after filing an order of protection against David, The Blast reports.
Jennifer accused her ex-fiance of pushing her while she was holding their child. In documents obtained by the Chicago Tribune, Jennifer said David had a history of physical and emotional mistreatment. Jennifer was given full custody of their son, and David was ordered to gather his things and leave their home.
David denied the allegations, and after the court couldn’t find enough evidence of wrongdoing, he was cleared of all charges in January 2018, according to E! News.
Was Jennifer Hudson cheating on David Otunga?
According to TMZ, David accused Jennifer of cheating on him with music producer Mali Music (pictured, left). She and Mali Music had reportedly met a few years prior after she hired him to perform at a party. They became friends and would meet up in the studio from time to time. But Jennifer never confirmed whether she had a fling with the producer.
A gag order…that’ll teach him
A month after their breakup, she accused David of leaking stories to the press to hurt her image. She said she made him sign a confidentiality agreement in August 2017, three months before they announced their breakup, and she asked the court to issue a gag order so David would keep his mouth shut about their personal business, and the court agreed.
Coming to an agreement
The Chicago Tribune reported that while attending hearings for their case, they rarely made eye contact or sat in the same room. But they finally reached an agreement in July 2019 after seven hours of intense negotiations. The details of their child support and custody agreement remain private according to E! News.
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