Horrible, horrible news. Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson’s mother and brother were shot and murdered Friday afternoon, and her 7 year old nephew is still missing. Our heart goes out to her family. This news comes not long after her new single, “Spotlight”, reached #1 on the Billboard R&B charts. Following article is from NYTimes.com.

The mother and brother of the Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson were found shot to death inside her mother’s house on the South Side of Chicago on Friday afternoon, and the police were said to be looking for her 7-year-old nephew.

The police confirmed that Ms. Hudson’s mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, 57, was one of the victims, the ABC affiliate WLS reported on its Web site. A neighbor reportedly told the entertainment web site TMZ that the other victim had been identified as Ms. Hudson’s brother, Jason S. Hudson, 29.

The police said they were searching for Ms. Hudson’s nephew, Julian King, who had been reported missing on Friday morning.

According to TMZ, the police were searching for a man identified as William Balfour, the husband of Ms. Hudson’s sister, Julia, who they said could be with the missing boy 7-year-old. Mr. Balfour reportedly listed the address of Ms. Hudson’s mother in the Englewood neighborhood as his place of residence within the last year. The Web site also reported that according to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Mr. Balfour is on parole after serving time in prison for attempted murder.

WLS reported that neighbors told the police they heard shots fired on Friday morning.

But it was not until Friday afternoon that a family member found Ms. Donerson in the living room and left the house to call the police, the television station reported. When they arrived at the house, they found Mr. Hudson in a bedroom.

The police said that there was no sign of forced entry at the house, and that the shootings were the result of a domestic dispute.

The Rev. Willie Davis, pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church, where Ms. Hudson and her family were members, said that despite her daughter’s celebrity, Ms. Donerson chose to stay and live on the South Side, WLS reported.

“That says a lot about the fact of the kind of family Jennifer comes from,” Mr. Davis was quoted as saying. “They’re a family of faith. They want to be attached to their roots.”

Church leaders said they were told that Ms. Hudson was flying home to Chicago from Tampa, Fla., according to the television station.

Celebrities Involved: Jennifer Hudson

DJ AM has made his first public appearance since his horrible plane crash a few weeks ago. He attended a memorial service Monday for one of the casualties in the accident, Chris Baker. Chris was Travis Barker’s personal assistant, and a close friend.

Travis and DJ AM, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, survived the wreck with second and third degree burns and are expected to make full recoveries. DJ AM was visibly scarred and was seen wearing oversized sunglasses. At the Baker family’s request, AM and fellow mourners dressed in green.

Celebrities Involved: Chris Baker, DJ AM, Travis Barker

A spokeswoman for legendary actor Paul Newman says he has died at age 83. Spokeswoman Marni Tomljanovic told Associated Press that Newman died Friday of cancer. No other details were immediately available.

The Vice-Chairman of the thespian’s charity, Newman’s Own Foundation, issued the following statement to honor and celebrate the legendary actor:

Paul Newman’s craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all. Paul had an abiding belief in the role that luck plays in one’s life, and its randomness. He was quick to acknowledge the good fortune he had in his own life, beginning with being born in America, and was acutely aware of how unlucky so many others were. True to his character, he quietly devoted himself to helping offset this imbalance. An exceptional example is the legacy of Newman’s Own. What started as something of a joke in the basement of his home, turned into a highly-respected, multi-million dollar a year food company. And true to form, he shared this good fortune by donating all the profits and royalties he earned to thousands of charities around the world, a total which now exceeds $250 million. While his philanthropic interests and donations were wide-ranging, he was especially committed to the thousands of children with life-threatening conditions served by the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he helped start over 20 years ago. He saw the Camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain and isolation of their conditions, kick back, and raise a little hell. Today, there are 11 Camps around the world, with additional programs in Africa and Vietnam. Through the Camps, well over 135,000 children have had the chance to experience what childhood was meant to be.
In Paul’s words: “I wanted to acknowledge luck; the chance and benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, who might not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it.”
Paul took advantage of what life offered him, and while personally reluctant to acknowledge that he was doing anything special, he forever changed the lives of many with his generosity, humor, and humanness. His legacy lives on in the charities he supported and the Hole in the Wall Camps, for which he cared so much.
We will miss our friend Paul Newman, but are lucky ourselves to have known such a remarkable person.”

Celebrities Involved: Paul Newman

A doctor treating Travis Barker and DJ AM announced that they are expected to make a full recovery, after a plane crash yesterday that killed 4 people, including Travis’ personal assistant Chris Baker.

Both Travis and DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) both suffered second and third-degree burned yesterday afternoon when their jet crashed before takeoff from a Columbia, South Carolina airport. Travis’ torso and DJ AM’s hands and part of his head were burned.

Our heart goes out to all of the families!

Celebrities Involved: DJ AM, Travis Barker