Jennifer Hudson’s teenage son had a time during a fun-filled celebration hosted by his dad, David Otunga.
Hudson and Otunga got engaged but split after nearly a decade together. Although they didn’t stay together long-term, they never failed to support their teenager in reaching any milestone.
The former WWE star celebrated David Daniel Otunga Jr.’s 17th birthday with a lengthy Instagram tribute that left fans stunned by his growth.
Hudson marked the day, sharing a throwback photo of her and her son backstage after a performance. “Team Jhud can yal help me wish doj a happy 17th birthday today !” she wrote.
However, Otunga left her out of the 20-image carousel he shared Monday, Aug. 10, which drew more than 16,700 likes.
“Seventeen years ago, God blessed me with a son who would become my best friend—and gave me my greatest title: Dad,” the proud father captioned.
“Happy 17th birthday, DOJ! Watching you grow into the intelligent, talented, driven, and kindhearted young man you are today has made me prouder than words can express,” Otunga continued, using the nickname the family calls him.
The first slide shows DOJ blowing out candles at a restaurant table, his father leaning in beside him.
The cake is a black fondant turntable with a needle and silver screws, and “HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY DOJ!” written along the base.
Other slides show DOJ getting a fresh cut in a barbershop chair and posing with family.
In another photo, he stands beside his father in a hallway, matching him in all black and white sneakers. Another photo shows him wrapping an arm around his grandmother in a kitchen.
Beyond the everyday moments, the family also took the celebration to Medieval Times in Chicago on Aug. 8.
DOJ posed in a set of wooden stocks, held up a royal decree naming him “Lord David Otunga Jr.” in honor of his “Royal 17th Birthday,” and afterward joined relatives for a group photo in paper crowns.
A separate restaurant photo captures close to 30 family members gathered under a large floral arrangement.
Otunga used the caption to run through what he is proud of.
“Watching you become a basketball star has been incredible, and I’m so excited for your next steps—on the court and in life,” he wrote. “I also love hearing the songs you make and seeing your creativity come alive.”
“Surrounded by family and covered in love—exactly how you deserve to be celebrated,” he added. “I thank God every day that He chose me to be your father. I love you beyond words. Happy 17th, Son!”
Before the carousel, Otunga posted a gym reel built as a then-and-now. It opens with old footage of DOJ as a small boy in a Jordan tank, curling weights next to his father. Then it cuts to now, with DOJ in a white tank and headphones, matching his father rep for rep at the dumbbell rack.
Jennifer Hudson celebrating her son’s 17th Birthday 🎂 pic.twitter.com/GacTt3KRl6
— ًWave Checkers (@wavecheckers) August 11, 2026
“Help me wish my son DOJ a HAPPY 17th BIRTHDAY! I can’t believe he’s 17!” Otunga captioned it. “From the cutest kid to the most handsome young man! I love you son!”
Meanwhile, all the fans kept landing on the same thing in the comments… how fast it went.
“Broooo my brain cannot process this being the same kid you had backstage in 2017 but I guess the math maths .. that’s wild man,” radio personality Peter Rosenberg commented.
He congratulated Otunga “on raising a great kid / young man.”
Another follower said, “Man, has he grown!! I recall seeing you two at the gym a few years ago. He ain’t a little boy no more.”
One person wrote, “Happy 17th Birthday DOJ, wow I cant believe I watch you grow up on the internet.”
DOJ has kept a relatively low profile in previous years. Yet fans have been noticing him being out more this year.
For instance, he walked the red carpet with his mother at the American Black Film Festival Honors back in February, where she received the Renaissance Award, per In Style.
He also surprised his mom by popping up on the set of her talk show with flowers ahead of Mother’s Day. He attended the MLB All-Star Game in July, where his mother sang a soaring rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Interviewer asks Jennifer Hudson if her son spends time in the studio with Common and she shares how they make their relationship work
— Block Topickz (@BlockTopickz) October 21, 2025
“He’s a blessing, he’s a LIGHT, that man is a light, for sure”
🎥: @Enews https://t.co/itQRWXubI7 pic.twitter.com/hqWurr9qQA
Hudson and Otunga dated for nearly a decade before splitting in November 2017.
The EGOT has been dating fellow Chicago native Common for nearly three years. The two confirmed their relationship in January 2024, on an episode of “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” after months of speculation.
DOJ seems to be adapting to the new man in his mother’s life, as both men were present at holiday gatherings with other family.
