Ouch! Jennifer Hudson Gets Hit In The Face During Date With Common

Jennifer Hudson was practically hit in the face by a basketball while sitting courtside with Common at the Knicks-Warriors game on Tuesday.

The New York Knicks’ playoff clash with the Golden State Warriors on March 4 delivered more than just basketball thrills. It served up a viral moment of courtside chaos involving EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, her boyfriend Common, and an errant pass that turned into a comedy of errors.

Midway through the second quarter, Knicks guard Miles McBride deflected a Warriors pass, sending the ball rocketing toward the courtside seats and straight at Hudson, who was nestled next to Common. In a split-second scramble, Common lunged to shield his girlfriend, but his heroic effort took a wild turn: His elbow accidentally grazed Hudson’s face, knocking off her glasses just as McBride, in hot pursuit of the loose ball, collided with her chair.

In an instant, the collision was complete.

The Dreamgirls star, caught in the crossfire, clutched her face in shock as the crowd gasped. Cameras captured the surreal sequence: Hudson’s glasses tumbling, Common’s apologetic embrace, and McBride pausing to check on her, mouthing, “You good?”

“Protect Jennifer Hudson at all costs!” sports commentator Ian Eagle said as the “American Idol” alum could be seen taking off her glasses and checking them to see if they had broken.

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

Then, they assessed whether Common had indeed protected the talk show host.

“Common is making sure everybody’s OK,” Eagle said. “Let me see what Common did. Did he, did he protect her?” the second commentator wondered.

“He tried. He actually banged the glasses,” Eagle said. “No. No, he didn’t,” the second commentator said. “He doesn’t get points for that.”

Jennifer Hudson, who mouthed a distinct “wow” in the immediate aftermath, did not look even one bit happy.

McBride kindly inquired about both of them before returning his focus to the game.

Despite the incident, the pair seemed to enjoy a wonderful evening out. Hudson dressed casually in blue jeans, a white shirt, a black trench coat, and white-and-black sneakers, while Common sported a blue-and-white tracksuit paired with white sneakers.