Jennifer Hudson, on the set of her show in Los Angeles, was virtually greeted by children from the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club, as well as 7’s Amaka Ubaka, just weeks after Hudson came to Boston to hype up the new season of her show.
The kids were excited for their close-up, getting to ask Hudson questions and engage with her. Lukas Jones, who got to ask Hudson a question, said he was grateful for the opportunity.
“It was awesome, it just felt, like, good for myself,” Jones said.
Another child got to show off her own star-power, singing for Hudson on the show.
“It was really fun. She inspires people. I love her songs,” said Londyn Hollins. “I dont know how to explain this – but she’s like the best.”
During her visit to Boston, Hudson spent time with the kids at the Ansin Youth Center, talking with the children, singing with them, cheering them on, and handing out snow cones.
“She was just a fantastic human being. She was supposed to be here 45 minutes. Two and a half hours later, she was still here talking to our kids, engaging with them,” said the Charlestown Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Derek Gallagher. “It’s amazing. Jen, the second she stepped in here, she just had everybody in her world. She just made everyone feel like she was talking specifically to them.”
Hudson received a sweet nod to her time in Boston on the show when the club surprised her on set with a snow cone of her own.
She said the Boys and Girls Club holds a special place in her heart and her history. She was a Club kid growing up in Chicago.
“One of the first places I got to display my talent was at the Boys and Girls Club,” Hudson said.
“Then come to find out when she got here that she was a club kid – I’m a club kid. They’re club kids. She understands where they’re coming from. That they are looking up to her,” Gallagher said.
Gallagher said he couldn’t me more proud of how his kids handled another moment in the spotlight.
“They are amazing. I never once doubted them,” he said. “There’s nothing they can’t do. They’ll take on the world someday.”
You can watch the Jennifer Hudson Show on 7NEWS weekdays at 11 a.m.
