Jennifer Hudson got the Christmas gift of her dreams.
The Dreamgirls actress was overcome with emotion as her 16-year-old son David Jr.—whom she shares with ex David Otunga—surprised her by recording his own cover of one of her songs, proving that musical talent definitely runs in the family.
“I didn’t want to sing with you because I had made you something,” the teen told his mom in a video posted on her Instagram page Dec. 26. “I’m gonna just let the video play.”
As the camera focused on Jennifer, 44, the EGOT winner burst into tears hearing David’s version of “Find the Love,” taken from her 2024 holiday album The Gift of Love. Behind her, her boyfriend Common—whom she confirmed she was dating in January—was also moved by the gesture, nodding along to the beat as the lyrics played.
“I roll with the tide, the lows and the highs, I've been prayin’ at night,” David crooned as the video cut to him in a recording studio. “Oh, this year, darlin’, we gon’ find the love.”
And the Jennifer Hudson Show host appeared to be at a loss for words after taking in her son’s performance.
“Y’all done outdid yourselves now,” she said as she batted tissues against her face. “Wow. I don’t know what to tell you.”
Jennifer summarized her feelings in the caption of the clip, reflecting on the emotional impact of David’s thoughtful present.
“I feel the love! Out of the mouths of babes,” she wrote. “This hit me in the depths of my heart that only he can reach. I truly received a Gift of Love!!!”
Of course, the musical moment wasn’t the first time David showed off his vocal chops. Last month, the mother-son pair hit the booth together to record a duet of Daniel Caesar and H.E.R.’s 2017 single “Best Part,” with Jennifer offering occasional singing tips—which David was happy to dish right back.
“That’s gonna be a meme or something,” he joked as Jennifer playfully belted the soft R&B ballad in a post on Instagram. “You know you can’t do too loud!”
To see how more stars celebrated the holiday season, keep reading.
Dua Lipa & Callum Turner
The “Don’t Start Now” singer and Eternity actor couldn’t get close enough as they snuggled up together while celebrating the holiday season with family.
“It's all about the Love,” Dua captioned the Dec. 26 Instagram post, “and absolutely smashing the cooking this year (all the stars aligned for me after not being in a kitchen for 6 months!!) HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!! SENDING YOU ALL SO MUCH LOVE!!!!!”
Emma Roberts
The American Horror Story star had an adorable snow day with her 4-year-old son Rhodes.
Hailie Jade
It’s unclear whether Eminem’s daughter bought her 9-month-old son Elliot a mockingbird for his first Christmas, but the mother-son duo clearly had an unforgettable day together, nonetheless. As Hailie—whose birthday is Christmas Day—captioned the Dec. 25 Instagram post, “Thirty, festive, and surviving—the merriest Christmas yet.”
Savannah Guthrie
The Today co-anchor was full of the Christmas spirit alongside husband Michael Feldman, as well as their kids Vale, 11, and Charley, 9.
Mayci Neeley
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star gave husband Jacob Neely a smooch as they rocked around the Christmas tree with their three kids.
Alec Baldwin & Hilaria Baldwin
The couple squeezed into an adorable photo with their seven kids to introduce their new pup Laila. As the wellness guru wrote on the Dec. 25 Instagram post, “We love her already and our other fur babies do too!”
Lily Collins
The Emily in Paris star celebrated her first Christmas with 10-month-old daughter Tove, whom she shares with husband Charlie McDowell.
Patrick Mahomes & Brittany Mahomes
The NFL star spent his first Christmas as a family of five with his wife and three little ones in matching plaid pajamas.
Justin Bieber & Hailey Bieber
The Rhode Beauty founder and Grammy winner shared a sweet moment from their holiday festivities, captioning the selfie, "MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE BIEBERS."
Simone Biles
The Olympian got cozy on Christmas Eve with her husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens.
Jennifer Aniston & Jim Curtis
The Friends alum shared a peek inside her holiday with the hypnotherapist, writing on Instagram, "Sending you ALL the love. Happy holidays!"
Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano
Survivor fan-favorite Boston Rob and fellow alum of the show, wife Amber Mariano, celebrated both Christmas and Rob's 50th birthday with mimosas and a festive morning with their daughters Lucia, 15, Carina, 14, Isabetta, 13, and Adelina, 10. He wrote in the caption of his Dec. 25 post, "Half-way to 100! #50th"
Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
The Jersey Shore alum celebrated a huge milestone this holiday season: a decade of sobriety. To mark the occasion, he posed alongside kids Romeo, 4, and Mia, 2, as well as his wife Lauren Sorrentino.
Alexa Lemieux & Brennon Lemieux
The Love is Blind stars reunited to celebrate Christmas with their 17-month-old daughter Vienna amid the pair's ongoing divorce.
Mariah Carey
The queen of Christmas herself posed with Santa Claus and her 14-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan, whom she shares with ex Nick Cannon.
Heidi Klum
The model celebrated Christmas with husband Tom Kaulitz and their blended family including her children Leni, 21, Henry, 20, Johan, 19, and Lou, 16. "Merry Christmas," she wrote in her Dec. 24 Instagram post. "Sending love."
Sofia Vergara
The Modern Family star celebrated Christmas with her dog, posing by her tree in a red velvet pajama set.
Hoda Kotb
The former Today co-anchor reunited with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman to celebrate the holiday with their daughters Hope, 6, and Haley, 8, as well as her mom and sister.
Ryan Seacrest
It was a bittersweet Christmas for the American Idol host and his family, as his father Gary Seacrest died in October. "First Christmas without Dad, but holding him close in all the ways we can," Ryan wrote in his Dec. 25 Instagram post. "We miss you. Merry Heavenly Christmas."
Whitney Leavitt
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star and her husband Conner Leavitt and kids Sedona, 6, Liam, 4, and Billy, 14 months, spent their first Christmas time in the city following their big movie for Whitney to appear in Chicago on Broadway following her run on Dancing With the Stars.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson
The Modern Family star and his husband Justin Mikita shared a festive Christmas Eve selfie. Jesse captioned the Dec. 24 post, "Are the children still "hitting it with a .5?"
Jennifer Lopez
The singer got "On The Floor" to pose by her massive Christmas tree in festive pink and white striped pajamas at a Christmas eve celebration with family.
Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco
The couple went in cognito with face masks while checking out a Christmas lights display. Selena captioned the Dec. 23 pics, "Visiting a wonderland."
Olivia Culpo & Christian McCaffrey
The model and NFL star took their daughter Colette, 5 months, to Disneyland before Christmas. "Happy Coziest time of the year!" Olivia wrote on Instagram, adding in another post that their baby girl is "the best little Christmas present."
Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber & Jack Blues Bieber
Justin Bieber shared a sweet photo Dec. 24 of his and Hailey Bieber's son Jack Blues Bieber, 16 months, dressed in a red sweater and a Santa hat for Christmas Eve.
Chrissy Teigen
The cookbook author's Christmas plans went awry when she broke her veneer while using her teeth to open a pack of candy canes.
"This is what moms do for their kids so that you can think you grew a candy cane," she shared on Instagram. “I tried to create magic. Now I have no tooth and tomorrow’s the winter sing.”
Nicole Kidman
The Oscar winner put her natural curls on display while heading to a Christmas Eve party in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 24 alongside her and ex Keith Urban's daughters Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
Jessica Seinfeld
The cookbook author showed off her family's unique menorah for the fourth night of Hanukkah, sending a shoutout to those who have "chosen to light a menorah along with us this year."
Scott Disick
The Kardashians star shared his very tall menorah to Instagram Stories as he celebrated the fourth night of the Hanukkah.
Mayim Bialik
The Big Bang Theory alum shared that she and her family chose to go big on the first night of Hanukkah with a slew of menorahs, writing in the caption, "We lit them all."