Jennifer Hudson Gets Hit in the Face by Basketball During Courtside Outing at New York Knicks Game

During Jennifer Hudson and Common’s courtside date night at the New York Knicks game, the EGOT winner nearly lost her glasses to a rogue basketball.

Hudson, 43, and Common, 52, sat courtside at NYC’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 4, to cheer on the Knicks in their matchup against the Golden State Warriors. (The Warriors ultimately won 114-102.)

“Protect Jennifer Hudson,” a broadcaster bellowed as footage showed Common consoling the actress-turned-talk-show-host after she was hit by the ball. Hudson’s black glasses appeared to have been knocked off in the incident.

It is not known whether Hudson suffered physical injuries, though she did take off her specs for the remainder of the game.

Tuesday was a date night for Hudson and Common, who have been together since late 2023.

“I am very happy, yes, ma’am,” Hudson told Gayle King during a November 2023 episode of CBS This Morning. “I think it’s more sophisticated than boo’ed up. It’s definitely not an entanglement, that’s for sure.”

While Hudson did not name her mystery man at the time, she later confirmed her boyfriend to be Common after they stepped out for a series of public date nights.

“I’m in a relationship that is with one of the most beautiful people I’ve met in life,” Common later gushed about Hudson during a January 2024 appearance on her Jennifer Hudson Show. “She’s smart, she loves God, she has something real down to earth about her. She’s talented.”

He added, “To me, it’s one of those things where I found where seeing her happy actually makes me really happy. I’m very grateful. I thank God every day and I’m just letting God guide this relationship.”

While Hudson and Common initially sought to keep their relationship under the radar, they’ve since gotten more comfortable with stepping out together.

“They’re both family-oriented, and the faith they share has given them the courage to finally let the world see they’re in love,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in February 2024. “Jennifer’s had a lot of disappointment, but Common’s a good guy. He makes her feel so special.”

Hudson was previously engaged to David Otunga, with whom she shares 15-year-old son David Jr., before their 2017 breakup. Common, meanwhile, has previously been linked to the likes of Erykah Badu, Taraji P. Henson, Serena Williams and Tiffany Haddish.

According to Common, his relationship with the former American Idol star is the real deal.

“If I’m going to get married, it’s to her,” Common said on The Breakfast Club in July 2024. “That’s [as] simple as that. This is definitely — with all due respect to all the women I’ve dated ’cause it’s all love — but this is a really healthy and beautiful relationship.”