David Otunga: Inside the Life of Jennifer Hudson’s Ex-partner and the Father of Her Only Son

David Otunga, Jennifer Hudson's husband, had been in a complex and challenging relationship that had impacted his capability to carry out his role as a father. Here is a peek into Otunga's professional and personal life.

Jennifer Hudson burst onto the scene after competing on "American Idol" in 2004, becoming a brilliant vocalist and sought-after actress. Throughout her stellar career, she won several prestigious accolades, including Grammys, Golden Globes, and Oscars.

On the other hand, Hudson's successful Hollywood career stands in stark contrast to her romantic life. She had a rocky relationship with her then-fiancé, David Otunga, with whom she had her sole child.

WHO IS DAVID OTUNGA?

Otunga is a lawyer, a professional wrestler, and an actor. He was born on April 7, 1980, in Elgin, Illinois. He graduated from Larkin High School in 1998 and studied at the University of Illinois, earning a bachelor's degree in Psychology.

After finishing college, he relocated to New York and worked as a laboratory manager at Columbia University's Cognitive Neuroscience Center. He eventually furthered his education after that.

After completing his legal education at Harvard Law School, Otunga worked for the law firm of Sidney Austin shortly after graduation. He dabbled in wrestling in addition to his exceptional academic accomplishments.

Otunga gained prominence in WWE as part of the group "The Nexus." His best arena moments came when he won and held the WWE tag team championships with Heath Slater and John Cena for two years.

He still practices law, although he no longer wrestles. Despite his retirement from competing in combat sports, he has been a sideline commentator on the WWE show "SmackDown."

Wrestling allowed him to find a niche in acting. Otunga gained prominence in several films, which include the 2013 "The Call," in which Halle Berry stars, and the 2019 "A Madea Family Funeral," with Tyler Perry.

HOW LONG HAVE DAVID OTUNGA AND JENNIFER HUDSON BEEN TOGETHER?

Hudson and Otunga had been together for ten years. In a 2012 interview with Wendy Williams, the wrestling veteran said he first met the famed singer on the VH1 reality show "I Love New York 2" through a mutual acquaintance.

Following their encounter, he and Hudson immediately started a whirlwind romance. After dating for less than a year, Otunga popped the question to the renowned singer at her 27th birthday party.

Instead of enjoying their relationship as an engaged couple a month after Otunga proposed, their pleasure rapidly changed to grief. Hudson's family lost three members, including a little boy.

Hudson's imprisoned ex-brother-in-law, Wilson Balfour, was responsible for the reported deaths of her mother, brother, and nephew. The family tragedy devastated Hudson, stalling her wedding plans with Otunga.

In 2009, the couple welcomed their son, David Jr., after almost a year of engagement. Following the boy's birth and the heartbreaking family tragedy, the first-time parents resumed their wedding arrangements.

Otunga said he was looking forward to their special day, describing it as a "sigh of relief" after the family's challenging times. He also expressed gratitude for having Hudson as his partner. He added:

"I'm blessed to have such a wonderful woman in my life who cares for our child so lovingly. It's made me love her just that much more."

Unfortunately, the duo, which Hollywood previously considered one of the most stable couples, never pushed through with wedding plans and never exchanged vows. Their relationship soured, resulting in a bitter breakup.

Despite his strained relationship with Hudson, Otunga remained committed to raising David Jr. with a peaceful and respectful approach.

WHY DID JENNIFER HUDSON AND DAVID OTUNGA SPLIT?

After a decade together, the messy breakup between Hudson and Otunga culminated in even more surprising accusations. In 2017, the award-winning singer sought a protection order against her ex-fiancé after their separation was made public.

Hudson reportedly accused Otunga of threatening conduct and causing mental and physical abuse. She also stated that her former fiancé acted aggressively and harassingly towards their son.

Meanwhile, Otunga's lawyer has denied the musician's accusations. The lawyer added that the former wrestling champion attempted to negotiate a reasonable and amicable parenting agreement with Hudson.

The lawyer said his client looked forward to the day he would be granted custody of his son. Hudson and her ex-fiancé had a lengthy custody struggle in court before reaching an agreement in 2019.

However, the contents of the child support and custody arrangement remained confidential since the former couple signed a gag order in 2017, which prohibits them from publicly addressing the topic.

Amid the gag order, their child custody agreement details were still made public. They reportedly agreed to a "fluid" and "progressive" timetable swap every two months to submit a care plan.

Apart from Hudson paying Otunga child support, they should not have any romantic guests spend the night at their separate homes during parenting time. They are resolved to raise their son under Christian ideals.

WHAT IS DAVID OTUNGA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS SON?

Despite his strained relationship with Hudson, Otunga remained committed to raising David Jr. with a peaceful and respectful approach. He spoke openly about his affectionate and sweet connection with his son.

Otunga noted that his son is following him and is interested in the same things as him. According to the proud father, David Jr. is interested in exercising and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Otunga said that David Jr. also loved watching his flicks. In addition to exercising and watching movies, the father-son tandem enjoys baking desserts at home. David Jr. even made his famous dad a birthday cake in honor of his special day.

The proud dad recently paid tribute to his son on Instagram in honor of National Sons' Day. In it, he showed a variety of videos and photos clips from his fun-filled days, as well as from when David Jr. was still an infant.