Jennifer Hudson Reveals What Gets Her to a Happy Place, Like Calls with Boyfriend Common: ‘He’s Such a Light’ (Exclusive)

Jennifer Hudson’s happy place involves boyfriend Common.

On Tuesday, Aug 5, during The Spotlight of Excellence discussion presented by Warner Bros. Television Group and moderated by PEOPLE’s Janine Rubenstein at Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, the multihyphenate gave a sweet relationship update.

When asked about how the EGOT winner finds her happy place, Hudson, 43, mentioned a few things that bring her joy — including Common, 53. “Well, you know, every day ain’t happy. That’s life, right,” she began.

“That is a great question, but what gets me in this spirit? Well, definitely music. And then they Spirit Tunnel me all the time,” Hudson said, referring to the feel-good viral trend her eponymous talk show does to welcome guests.

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“Like are you here pulling up and I’m like, ‘Oh Lord. They about to Spirit Tunnel me.’ They don’t do it every day. And sometimes I go in there, wake them up, because I believe a room without music, has no personality. But to answer your question, I like to walk through the garden before I go in to center myself.”

“Sometimes I play music, of course I talk to God,” she continued before mentioning her beau. “I talk to that man of mine too. He’s such a light and he lifts, my spirit so high. But sometimes it’s a lot going on.”

Hudson said that as soon as she meets “the energy of the crowd, the audience, and then the guests,” she thrives off of it. “It’s like, wow, you came all the way to my show. This is your experience. I want you to have an amazing experience. So you being excited, excites me and it lifts me up.

She also said that seeing how excited audience members are wakes her “right on up.”

Hudson and Common sparked romance rumors in 2022 when they both were working on the film Breathe. They were spotted out together grabbing dinner and seated courtside at basketball games.

In January 2024, Common seemingly confirmed their relationship during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. Hudson asked the musician if he was dating someone, and Common had the perfect response.

“I’m in a relationship that is with one of the most beautiful people I ever met in life,” he said. “She’s smart, she loves God, she has something real down-to-earth about her, she’s talented.”

Hudson gave PEOPLE an update on her relationship in June 2024 at the 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards. “Everything is wonderful,” the American Idol winner said at the time. “That’s all you need to know.”

The following month, Common told PEOPLE about their collaboration on his song “A GOD (There Is)” from his collaborative album with producer Pete Rock titled The Auditorium Vol. 1 .

“I loved it, because when I played it to musician friends, they were like, ‘Who is that singing?’ ” he gushed. “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.”

The Jennifer Hudson Show returns for season 4 on Monday, Sept. 15.