The story of the former "American Idol" contestant is one of extremes: after losing out in the talent show, she went on to co-star in "Dreamgirls" along with Beyoncé Knowles and Eddie Murphy, taking home an Oscar for her performance, spiking up Jennifer Hudson's net worth - however, only a few years later, she suffered a great family tragedy that marked her forever.

Though known for her wide success in music and film (not every actress can say she won an Oscar on her very first movie role), Jennifer Hudson's net worth is indeed quite high for someone who's been in the spotlight for a relatively short time, but she's had to balance the good with the bad.

Hudson first came to the public light in the third season of "American Idol," and her talent was so prominent that audiences could tell Jennifer Hudson's net worth would be growing exponentially within the next few years, even though she didn't make it past seventh place on the famous talent show.

Only two years later, in 2006, she was in the film "Dreamgirls," based on the 80s Broadway musical of the same name that told a fictionalized account of famous record label Motown and one of its main acts, The Supremes. There, Jennifer Hudson's net worth grew even bigger as she played Effie White, based on Florence Ballard; Beyoncé would go on to play the Diana Ross look-alike, Deena Jones.

However, it wasn't all fun and glamour: unfortunately, in 2008, Hudson's mother Darnell Donnerson and her brother Jason were shot to death in their Chicago home, and later the body of her 7 year-old nephew Julian was found on Chicago's West Side by the FBI, after being shot multiple times.

As The Huffington Post reported at the time, William Balfour, the former husband of Hudson's sister Julia, was guilty for the murders, and he was convicted in 2012 to life in prison in the Cook County Circuit. It was widely reported of having been a crime of passion following a fit of jealousy.

Currently, Jennifer Hudson's net worth stands at $20 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, as she's been a part of projects like the first "Sex and the City" movie. In 2009, she had her first child with professional WWE wrestler husband, David Otunga.