Jennifer Hudson's Oscar Snub Isn't Sitting Well With Aretha Franklin's Family
It's unavoidable. Every year there are going to be Oscar nomination snubs. This year, even though many critics agree that the Best Actress category is stacked with powerhouses — Jessica Chastain, Kristen Stewart, Nicole Kidman, Olivia Colman, and Penélope Cruz — there are a few omissions that have fans up in arms, including the family of one dearly departed legend. Among the most glaring snubs are Lady Gaga for "House of Gucci" and Ruth Negga for "Passing," while the family of Aretha Franklin feel that Jennifer Hudson's portrayal of the Queen of Soul in the biopic "Respect" should have gotten a bit more, well, respect.
While Hudson was definitely in Oscars contention this year, her nomination still would have been a bit of a dark horse pick. She certainly wasn't getting the kind of Oscar buzz that, say, Stewart or Gaga were getting for instance. The movie as a whole, in fact, went far more unnoticed than might have been expected for a serious biopic, which usually get some recognition at least for the lead performance (see again: Stewart in "Spencer").
Aretha Franklin's family was disappointed
Speaking to TMZ, some of Aretha Franklin's family members said they were disappointed that Jennifer Hudson wasn't nominated for her portrayal of the iconic singer. And what stings even more — they say the Queen of Soul herself would have been disappointed, too.
Franklin's niece Sabrina Owens told the outlet that before she died, her aunt was very personally invested in the movie about her life and handpicked Hudson for the role. And seeing how well Hudson delivered, it's no surprise she was upset by the snub. Brenda Franklin Corbit, Franklin's cousin and former backup singer, also said Franklin would have been hurt that Hudson's performance was overlooked, adding that she thought the Academy made a huge mistake.
We have to say, it's a bit unusual for the subject of a biopic's family to love an actor's portrayal of their loved one so much. Even Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, who was consulted in the making of "Being the Ricardos" and generally loved Nicole Kidman's portrayal, said she had pushed for some scenes to be cut because they were inaccurate, according to The Hollywood Reporter. And it's no secret the royal family has, er, mixed feelings about how they were portrayed on "The Crown," via Us Weekly.
So, while we're bummed on behalf of Franklin's family that Hudson didn't get the Oscar nod, we're glad the performance at least did her justice.