Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson is pregnant with her first child, according to a longtime friend.

The singer/actress has been laughing off baby rumors for weeks after Essence magazine alleged the 27 year old and her fiancé David Otunga were expecting.

However, Hudson has shared the happy news with close friends - and even threw a baby shower at a relative's Chicago, Illinois home on Saturday to celebrate, according to the star's pal Felicia Fields.

She tells the Chicago Tribune newspaper, "It was a baby shower, a quiet gathering of friends and mostly family. They're really trying to keep it kind of quiet. It was a nice time that we had." But Hudson is determined to keep the sex of the baby a secret - with guests at the party lavishing her with neutral colored gifts. Fields adds, "They don't know (the gender)."

Hudson, who is reportedly seven months pregnant, suffered a family tragedy last October when her mother, brother and young nephew were killed in a triple murder. The singer's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason, were found shot dead at their home in Chicago, Illinois and the body of her seven-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an abandoned car three days later.

The estranged husband of Hudson's sister Julia, William Balfour, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first degree murder and home invasion.

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)