Jennifer Hudson Gets Hit in the Face by Basketball While Sitting Courtside at Knicks Game

Jennifer Hudson may be thinking twice about sitting courtside at her next NBA game. The EGOT winner, 43, was left visibly shaken after she took a basketball to the face while enjoying a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden Tuesday with her partner, Common, 52.

The painful moment came as the Knicks faced off against the Golden State Warriors. Hudson and Common were seated courtside for the game, but things went awry when the Knicks’ Miles McBride, 24, lost control of the basketball, which was instead sent barreling directly towards Hudson’s face.

“Protect Jennifer Hudson!” a sports commentator could be heard saying in footage shared to social media showing the scary up-close encounter. In the clip, McBride could be seen immediately checking on the American Idol alum, who appeared shaken, as Common also provided comfort.

While it seemed Hudson didn’t suffer any apparent injuries, it seems her glasses may have taken the brunt of the impact and were left bent from the encounter. The “If This Isn’t Love” singer could be seen checking over her glasses before ultimately hanging them from her top.

“Oh no, not the glasses. Those look real expensive, too,” a second commentator said in the video.

“And Common is making sure everybody’s okay,” the first commentator added before a different angle of the moment was played, showing that Common attempted to throw his arms in front of Hudson to shield her when he noticed the basketball launching towards her.

Reacting to the viral moment on social media, one person wrote, “Protect Jennifer! Hope she is ok,” as somebody else added, “Hazards of courtside seats, huh?” Several others applauded Common’s quick thinking, one person commenting, “Common with the quick reflexes.” Another person wrote, “Common protected his lady as he should.”

Hudson and Common first sparked dating rumors back in 2022 after they worked together on their film Breathe. They confirmed their relationship in January 2024, with the rapper later describing their connection as “a really healthy and beautiful relationship” in July 2024.

Since sparking romance, the couple have been spotted out and about together on numerous occasions, and have made regular appearances at basketball games. They also recently worked together on a Christmas album.