Delaware awaits rapper Common for book tour: Is he dating Jennifer Hudson?

Andre Lamar, Delaware News Journal

January 23, 2024 at 2:04 AM·4 min read

Delaware fans of rap legend Common can ask him about being romantically linked to singer Jennifer Hudson when he brings his book tour to Wilmington in a free event on Friday, Jan. 26.

This event with Common is at Wilmington Public Library and no registration or tickets are required. Seating is first come, first served.

Common's book tour is for his upcoming release "And Then We Rise": A Guide to Loving and Taking Care of Self."

Who is Common dating now?

December 30, 2023 : Rapper and actor Common, left, and singer and actress Jennifer Hudson, right, talk during an NBA basketball game between the Chicago Bulls and the Philadelphia 76ers in Chicago.

For months there's been speculation that Chicagoans Common and Hudson are dating.

The latest is a pre-recorded clip from the singer's talk show, "The Jennifer Hudson Show," which features the Grammy-winning singer asking the rapper if he has a girlfriend in an episode that airs on Channel 29 - WTXF / FOX at noon on Monday, Jan. 22.

"Yes, and I'm in a relationship that is [with] one of the most beautiful people I ever met in life. She's smart. She loves God. She has something real down to earth about her. She's talented," Common replied. "I set my standard kinda high because she had to have an EGOT. She had to win an Oscar on her first movie," he continued. "She had to get her own talk show."

Hudson fits all of that criteria, including winning an EGOT or an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony Award.

TMZ also recently shared a photo of Common and Hudson holding hands inside of the Crypto Arena in Los Angeles when the Lakers hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 17.

Common dated Serena Williams & Tiffany Haddish

Common (left) and Serena Williams attend Creative Minds Talks Presents a Conversation Between Athlete, Entrepreneur, And Philanthropist, Serena Williams And Award-Winning Artist, Actor, And Activist Common at Civic Opera House on October 29, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

The emcee has dated several famous women over the years. This includes tennis superstar Serena Williams, actress Taraji P. Henson, singer Erykah Badu and comedian Tiffany Haddish.

Haddish discussed her 2021 breakup with The Washington Post in a story that ran last July.

“It was more him saying, ‘I think this relationship has run its course,’" Haddish said. "And I was like, ‘OK. Like you gonna be a 50-year-old single man. OK?’”

She said that her time with Common was “the healthiest, the funnest relationship I’ve ever had."

When is Common's new book coming out?

The book "And Then We Rise" is released on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The book will be available at retailers including Amazon.

What is Common's new book about?

"And Then We Rise" offers a comprehensive approach to wellness.

"'And Then We Rise" is about Common’s journey to wellness as a vital element of his success. A testimony to the benefits of self-care, this book is composed of four sections, each with its own important lessons," according to the book's synopsis on Amazon.

" 'The Food' focuses on nutrition. 'The Body' focuses on fitness. 'The Mind' focuses on mental health. And 'The Soul' focuses on perhaps the most profound thing of all — spiritual well-being."

Who is Common?

Common attends the 38th Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on Nov. 3, 2023 in New York City.

Common (Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.) came into the hip-hop scene in the early '90s under the alias "Common Sense."

The socially conscious rapper has collaborated with artists like Ye (formerly Kanye West), Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli (who is coming to the library in a Black History Month event on Thursday, Feb. 8), Mos Def, John Legend and many others.

He's known for his signature rap style where he enunciates his words clearly, and slowly, to the point where it sounds like he's reciting material at a poetry slam.

Common is the first rapper in history to win an Emmy, Grammy and Oscar.

He won an Emmy in 2017 for the song "Letter to the Free," which appeared in the documentary "13th." He won an Oscar with John Legend in 2015 for the song "Glory" from the film "Selma." Common also won three Grammy Awards, the latest of which was in 2016 for "Glory."

Common has flexed his acting chops in several films including "Suicide Squad," "John Wick: Chapter 2" and "American Gangster."

Wilmington Public Library (10 E. 10th St., Wilmington) at 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 26. Admission is free. Visit wilmington.lib.de.us or call (302) 571-7400.

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