He shattered her world by murdering her mother, brother and nephew in 2008. But Jennifer Hudson has spoken out for the first time since her former brother-in-law William Balfour received three life sentences in July to reveal she has forgiven him.

The Oscar-winning actress and singer also said she does not blame him entirely for his actions.

When asked if she forgives him on last night’s episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter, the 30-year-old said: ‘Yes, because I feel like for the most part it’s not his fault.

‘It’s how he was brought up. We tried to offer love, but you were so far gone, that you couldn’t even see that.

‘A lot of things came out, that we didn’t even know about, from his upbringing, which is like he never had a chance.

‘Had you had the love my mother gave us, or the background that some have, then you would’ve stood a chance.’

The Dreamgirls star’s words of compassion come after she was devastated four years ago when her mother Darnell Donerson, brother Jason Hudson were gunned down in her hometown Chicago.

Her seven-year-old nephew Julian King was reported missing from the home, but was found dead in the back of an abandoned SUV days later. And she admitted she did not know how to respond after suffering such massive loss.

She said: ‘There were so many shocks involved in it. Like, who do I grieve for first? Or, who do I start with?

‘It’s bits and pieces. It’s too much. You’re confused. Your emotions are confused.’

And the Grammy-winner, who who turns 31 later this week, said she is now finally ready to visit her relatives’ graves after receiving closure from justice being served.

Balfour was sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole, followed by 120 years for other crimes.

She said: ‘I haven’t been to the grave site since we buried them but now I want to go because I feel like okay, we’ve accomplished things.

‘We’ve done this. We got justice for you. I can’t come here empty-handed. I came back with justice being served so now I feel like I deserve to be able to see them.’

Jennifer’s elder sister Julia also spoke on the show, and said when she heard of the murders she knew immediately her estranged husband Balfour was responsible. And the grieving mother of Julian says she blamed herself for the murders.

She said: ‘Of course, how can I not go through the what ifs? Because I married him. If I hadn’t saw what I thought I saw in him.

‘And once I did begin to see who he really was, I tried to get out.

‘That was his promise: “If you leave me. I’ll kill you. I’ll kill your family first.”‘

‘I left. And he did what he said he would.’

Elite.