Simon Cowell Blasts Jennifer Hudson for 'Stepping Stone' Comment

American Idol judge Simon Cowell blasted Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson after she made a remark calling the American Idol show "a stepping stone".

Hudson was a contestant on American Idol in 2004 but was voted off before the finale.

Hudson later auditioned for the role as Effie White for the big-screen version of "Dreamgirls". Hudson was casted.

"Jennifer Hudson said American Idol was a 'stepping stone' for her. Stepping stone? It was her big opportunity to become noticed and she got noticed and she got Dreamgirls." said Cowell

"Singers like her deliberately turn against the show that made them successful. The reason (people) come on the show is because all the doors had been slammed in their face."

Jennifer Kate Hudson was born on September 12, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Dunbar Vocational Career Academy. Hudson graduated in 1999.

Hudson was cast in the role of Effie White for the movie "Dreamgirls" in November 2005. Hudson beat out hundreds of professional singers and actors for this role. She began filming on January 9, 2006, and the film was nationally released on January 12,2007.

Hudson's role as Effie White has received more than twenty four awards and nominations. She won a Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Supporting Role for this film.

At the young age of 25, Hudson became the eighth youngest winner of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She is also the third African-American to ever win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The two other actresses are Hattie McDaniel for Gone with the Wind and Whoopi Goldberg for Ghost.

During her acceptance speech at the Oscars, Hudson cried tears of joy and said: "Oh my God, I have to just take this moment in. I cannot believe this. Look what God can do. I didn't think I was going to win."

She continued: "If my grandmother was here to see me now. She was my biggest inspiration."

She ended her speech by thanking Jennifer Holliday.

Hudson's version of the Dreamgirls song "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at Number 98 on January 13, 2007. The song has become Hudson's first Top 10 hit.

On February 24, 2007, the song reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart.

The best position for the song, however, was for a remix. The song claimed the number 2 position on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play Chart.

SOURCES:

Hollywood.com (http://www.hollywood.com)

Wikipedia.org (http://www.wikipedia.org)