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23 Jan 2026 12:14
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Jennifer Hudson's partner can be "a bit bossy" when they work together

    The 43-year-old singer has been in a relationship with rapper Common - whose real name is Lonnie Rashid Lynn - since 2022 and admitted that when they teamed up to work on her new album The Gift of Love,' he took charge quite a lot because his showbiz alter ego is "different" to his real-life counterpart


    Speaking on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers', she said: "He's a bit bossy when it comes to being Common.

    "Common and Rashid are two different people musically, but he's a musical genius, so it's an honor to be able to work from him, work for him, work with him, and on his album and my album."

    Common previously explained that the new record is so different from anything that the 'Dreamgirls' star has ever done before that friends didn't even recognise her voice when they first listened.

    He said: "When I played it to musician friends, they were like, 'Who is that singing?' I'm like, 'That's Jennifer!' It doesn't sound like things you've heard from her before.

    "I love that we were able to utilize her gifts in a new space. She brought it, man."

    Jennifer - who shot to fame as finalist on 'American Idol' in 2004 - was previously married to James Payton from 1999 to 2007 and went on to have son David, 15, with her second husband David Otunga before their split in 2017.

    Common - who has previously dated the likes of Taraji P. Henson and Serena Williams but has daughter Omoye, 27, with ex Kim Jones - appeared on Jennifer's eponymous talk show earlier this year where he admitted that he was in a "happy place" with his current relationship.

    He said: "This relationship is a happy place. Seeing her happy actually makes me really happy. So, I'm very grateful. I thank God each and every day, and I'm just letting God guide this relationship."

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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