Jennifer Hudson Stunned in a Sparkly Purple Train at the "Respect" Premiere

There are dream dresses, and then there's Jennifer Hudson's red carpet look for the premiere of her movie "Respect," in which she plays Aretha Franklin. The actress and singer rocked up to the Westwood, California event wearing a dazzling purple sequin gown by Dolce & Gabbana, as noted by the Daily Mail (opens in new tab). The floor-length, strapless dress featured a high slit on one side, as well as a long train, also covered in purple sequins. Hudson wore a matching sheer veil that draped over the train for a totally mesmerizing effect. She completed the look with glittery Louboutin pumps.

If Hudson's outfit wasn't a perfect homage to the late Franklin as it was (she was famously a fan of glittery dresses herself), the actress further paid her—ahem—respects to the Queen of Soul with a touching Instagram post (opens in new tab).

Alongside two black-and-white photos of herself with Franklin, J-Hud wrote, "In honor of Premiere Day! This is the first time I met @arethafranklin in 2004. I got to open her show that night ! I’ll never forget it. Thank u @jeremylawsonphotography for capturing this life changing moment. #arethafranklin #respectmovie"

"Respect," named for Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit, follows (opens in new tab) the life of Aretha Franklin from her childhood to the height of her success, and—according to The Hollywood Reporter (opens in new tab)—Franklin herself handpicked Hudson to portray her. The singer passed away (opens in new tab) back in 2018 at the age of 76.

Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Mary J. Blige and Tituss Burgess are just some of the other big names starring in the biopic.