Jennifer Hudson has endured prejudice as a Black woman. (Michael Tran/FilmMagic)
Grammy-winner Jennifer Hudson has amassed huge success since her stint on “American Idol” 13 years ago. But all the hit singles and award wins don’t exclude her from experiencing racism.
“There have been several situations where I get on a plane and [the flight attendant] assumes that I’m [meant to be] in the back of the plane,” “The Voice” judge explained to Cosmopolitan UK for its February issue. “That happens a lot. I’m like ‘No, my seat is up there [in first class], thank you.'”
(Cosmopolitain//Ben Watts)
And the racism issue doesn’t just follow her as she travels outside her home — she experiences bigotry inside her home too.
“People also assume that my home belongs to my white driver, Charles,” she added. “One time, I was having something moved into my house and they wanted to know where to put it. I said, ‘There.’ [The removal man] just stood there. When Charles came in, he asked him, ‘So where would you like these things?’ Charles said, ‘She said she wanted it right there. You’re talking to the wrong person.’
“Stuff like this happens in your own home! I defy all the odds being African American, living in a wealthy neighborhood and being a working mom. It’s too many foreign things in one person! It’s so ignorant. Race is just one of them. I face them all.”
And Hudson isn’t the only big name celeb who has encountered racism post-fame. Serena Williams, 23-time Grand Slam champion, filed a lawsuit against a luxury shoe brand when she was denied a celebrity discount.
“When the world-famous athlete Serena Williams, via her staff, asked for a discount on her extensive purchases, Gianvito managers responded with racially disparaging comments about Ms. Williams which made it clear that the company did not want African-American women to wear its shoes,” the May 2017 filing said.
In a similar instance, House of Chanel was forced to apologize that same month to “Empire” actress Gabourey Sidibe after she alleged racial profiling at a Chicago store. The sales associate deterred her from purchasing glasses after assuming Sidibe couldn’t afford them.
“We took her words very seriously and immediately investigated to understand what happened, knowing that this is absolutely not in line with the high standards that Chanel wishes to provide to our customers,” the brand said in a statement.
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