Jennifer Hudson moved Michelle Obama to tears at the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on Thursday, 18 June, delivering a performance of The Impossible Dream that left the former first lady reaching for a tissue. Hudson, a Chicago native and EGOT recipient, appeared dressed in all white to perform the National Anthem before launching into the show-stopping ballad, originally written for the 1965 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha. PEOPLE reported that Michelle Obama, seated alongside former President Barack Obama and their daughters, who made a rare public appearance for the occasion, was visibly moved as Hudson finished the song. It was not the first time this week that emotions ran high at the landmark celebrations. On Wednesday, Barack Obama got teary-eyed at a special reception after being surprised by a portrait of his late mother-in-law Marian Robinson, which appeared on Michelle’s skirt. Michelle herself acknowledged the mood later in Thursday’s ceremony.
Jennifer Hudson makes Michelle cry at Obama Centre Grand opening
Published on: June 20, 2026 2:55 PM