Beyoncé Couldn’t Stand Rumors She Was Jealous of ‘Dream Girls’ Co-Star Jennifer Hudson
Beyoncé Knowles is one of the world’s biggest stars, a triple-threat who has conquered the entertainment industry. The superstar continues to surprise and delight her fans every year, releasing exclusive projects and continuously breaking records. She is also a wife and mother, proving that women can certainly do it all. Still, there was a time when Beyoncé was said to be fiercely jealous of a fellow star, an actress who has since earned acclaim on her own merits.
How did Beyoncé originally become famous?
Beyoncé Knowles was born in Houston, Texas, in 1981. She showed a talent for singing and dancing at a very early age. Far from discouraging her natural talents, her parents encouraged her to pursue a career in entertainment. Her father, Mathew Knowles, drove her around to competitions and performances, while her mother, Tina, helped her to dress and developed her stage presence.
As a member of the iconic girl group Destiny’s Child, Knowles rose to fame in the late nineties. The group released hit singles like “Say My Name” and “Jumpin’ Jumpin'” and their signature style was emulated by fans all around the world.
Eventually, Beyoncé broke out on her own as a solo performer. As a solo artist, she became even more popular and had the freedom to pursue a wider variety of projects — including acting in a series of movie roles. While Beyoncé will always be best known for her musical abilities and record-breaking album sales, she has certainly made waves with her skills as an actress over the years.
Beyoncé’s movie career
As soon as Beyoncé broke away and became a solo artist, she began accepting movie deals. Her first big movie role was in 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember. Playing a sexy secret agent, she made a splash with fans, and the film quickly led to other roles in films like The Fighting Temptations, Fade to Black, and The Pink Panther.
In 2006, Beyoncé appeared in her most high-profile project yet, the movie Dreamgirls. Loosely based on the musical act The Supremes, and set in the sixties during the glory days of Motown, Beyoncé really had a chance to shine — and sing at the same time. Still, as much as critics loved Beyoncé in the film, her co-star, Jennifer Hudson, was the one that really stole the show.
Was Beyoncé jealous of co-star Jennifer Hudson?
At the time that she appeared in Dreamgirls, Hudson was relatively unknown as an actress. All of that changed when the film was released, with Hudson stealing the show from older, more established performers like Eddie Murphy.
For her work as Effie, Hudson received several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. While her cast members were all seemingly very happy for her, rumors started to swirl that Beyoncé was jealous of all the attention that Hudson was receiving.
Beyoncé was quick to speak out and disprove the rumors. She stated: “I knew that the character that I played wasn’t the star. She didn’t have the struggle and the pain and the dramatic scenes that Effie had, and I was fine with that.”
As for reports that Beyoncés was angry that she didn’t get the awards show buzz that Hudson did, the singer said: “I’m already a star. I already have nine Grammys. Everyone knows I can sing. It’s really unfortunate that everyone is saying I’m jealous of Jennifer. It hurts my heart because it’s so clichéd. … Because I’m a star they just automatically assume that I’m not humble enough to sit down and take a back seat, which I am.”
Whether her protestations were the result of being found out or whether they were genuine might never be known for certain.
