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The singer discussed the 2008 murders of her mother, brother and nephew on Monday's VH1's Behind the Music: Jennifer Hudson.
"It's all a blur, it was surreal. It was like I was outside of myself.
"For almost two weeks straight... [I was] inside one room with just family and friends coming in and out. I prayed when I'd get up in the morning and prayed before I laid down at night."
Hudson remained out of the spotlight until her performance at the 2009 Grammys.
"I was definitely thinking of my family when I was singing ['You Pulled Me Through']," she recalled. "I could hear my brother in my head, like, 'Jennifer, you need to kill this, you need to get up and do it.' I knew he would be disappointed if I didn't do it justice."
The star added that she owes 11-month-old son David for helping her heal, as he reminds her of both her nephew and her mother.
"[David] makes me feel like the most special person on earth. I want him to get the same love and the same upbringing my mother gave us."
