Jennifer Hudson Stunned at 'Respect' Premiere in Sequin Gown

los angeles, california august 08 jennifer hudson attends the los angeles premiere of mgms respect at regency village theatre on august 08, 2021 in los angeles, california photo by axellebauer griffinfilmmagic

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published 9 August 2021

There are dream dresses, and then there's Jennifer Hudson's red carpet look for the premiere of her movie "Respect," in which she plays Aretha Franklin. The actress and singer rocked up to the Westwood, California event wearing a dazzling purple sequin gown by Dolce & Gabbana, as noted by the Daily Mail. The floor-length, strapless dress featured a high slit on one side, as well as a long train, also covered in purple sequins. Hudson wore a matching sheer veil that draped over the train for a totally mesmerizing effect. She completed the look with glittery Louboutin pumps.

actresssinger jennifer hudson attends the los angeles premiere of respect in westwood, california, august 8, 2021 photo by valerie macon afp photo by valerie maconafp via getty images

If Hudson's outfit wasn't a perfect homage to the late Franklin as it was (she was famously a fan of glittery dresses herself), the actress further paid her—ahem—respects to the Queen of Soul with a touching Instagram post.

american soul singer aretha franklin 1942 2018 performs live on stage at the new victoria theatre in london in 1980 photo by david redfernredferns

Alongside two black-and-white photos of herself with Franklin, J-Hud wrote, "In honor of Premiere Day! This is the first time I met @arethafranklin in 2004. I got to open her show that night ! I’ll never forget it. Thank u @jeremylawsonphotography for capturing this life changing moment. #arethafranklin #respectmovie"

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"Respect," named for Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit, follows the life of Aretha Franklin from her childhood to the height of her success, and—according to The Hollywood Reporter—Franklin herself handpicked Hudson to portray her. The singer passed away back in 2018 at the age of 76.

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Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Mary J. Blige and Tituss Burgess are just some of the other big names starring in the biopic.

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.