JENNIFER HUDSON'S GOT THIS

And the talk show host/singer/actor/mom/philanthropist/ lots of other things wants you to know that you do too. Our editor in chief hung out with her, and that was the big takeaway: Jennifer Hudson is not only amazing, she's also your biggest fan.

- LAUREN IANNOTTI

JENNIFER HUDSON should be a diva. She has every claim, with arguably the greatest singing voice on the planet, a coveted EGOT (she's won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony), and illustrious friends, like Oprah and the Obamas, to name just the Os. There are rumors of romance with a famous beau, and she even has a celeb-y nickname, JHud. By all standards, Jennifer has a right to be high-maintenance and aloof. What she actually is: a hustler who's so sweet and solicitous, you almost worry about her.

Audiences first met her nearly 20 years ago as the R&B savant who should've won American Idol. Her clapback was to take home perhaps the most unanimously agreed-upon Best Supporting Actress Oscar in history, for her turn as Effie White in 2006's Dreamgirls. Then, in 2008, she faced unspeakable loss when her mother, brother, and nephew were murdered by a family member. She kept singing, launching a solo music career that would earn her two gold records and feature collabs with top talents, like Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, and Bono. More films followed, including the role your kids know her for: Young Nana, a caftan-clad sheep crooning a gorgeous Beatles cover in the 2016 hit animated musical Sing.

Then, last year, she threw her hat into the infamously tough daily-talk-show ring. The Jennifer Hudson Show was slightly uneven and uncertain of itself in its first season but got steady ratings, critical accolades, and a stream of A-list guests-a testament to the power of Jennifer's brand of charisma. And her hustle.