Jennifer Hudson has been keeping an understandably low profile in the wake of the murder conviction of William Balfour, but the erstwhile Dreamgirl stepped out in New York last night for a charitable cause and in doing so, brought more attention to her own pet project, the Julian King Foundation, the namesake organization of her late 7-year-old nephew.
E! News scored an interview with the Oscar winner, her first interview since the guilty verdict, who spoke about the memory of her beloved nephew, how being a mom has changed her life and whether or not she's altar-bound anytime soon...
"Tonight is an amazing milestone stepping stone," Hudson told E! News at the Samsung Hope for Children event, saying that she and her sister created the foundation "from scratch" and "in honor of his memory."
So devoted to the cause is she that Hudson and her sister are hosting a dinner on Aug. 14—Julian's birthday—to further fundraise for the charity, which benefits underprivileged children in the Chicago area.
In addition to preserving the memory of her nephew, the noble do-gooding also falls in line with Hudson's new priorities as a mother.
"It's definitely changed me and put me in the mindset of a mom, and, as before, it makes you think of the future of our children," she said. "This is the perfect place to do that; it's like starting a new beginning and closing a chapter."
Meanwhile, the Oscar winner also had time to chat about lighter fare, and squashed rumors that she and fiancé David Otunga are in a rush to walk down the aisle.
"I have no idea where those rumors are coming about getting married, but I'm happy and something will happen soon. It's coming."
Also coming? A return to the talent that put her in the nation's consciousness to begin with.
"I'm getting started on my third album this summer, and I have a few films in the works. I'm now just getting back out there and into my rhythm again, so one day at a time."
—Reporting by Vanessa McDonald