(Photo: Joe Stevens / Retna Ltd)

Though she claims that she’s always been happy with her weight, Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson says she felt “discriminated” against in Hollywood due to the extra pounds she used to carry. 

Speaking with Britain’s Grazia magazine, she explained why she never had any strong concerns about her then-larger frame. Hudson said, “I thought my old look was pretty normal. That was how all the girls looked growing up in Chicago.”

She also recalled the time she spent on the set of Dreamgirls.  She added, “I did see all these women in Hollywood, all very slim and I thought, 'Wow, these ladies are very into themselves.' I loved that I stood out in a room. You knew when you saw this woman it was Jennifer Hudson."

While she’s adamant that she felt confident about her larger size, she does enjoy the newfound attention she’s getting from her celebrity peers. J-Hud said, “I also had dinner with Beyoncé and Alicia Keys and they just kept going on and on about how great I looked."