CHICAGO (MCT) — Singer Jennifer Hudson should not have been allowed to testify against her former brother-in-law because she had no direct knowledge of the murders of three family members and her celebrity unfairly influenced the jury, defense attorneys argued Friday in seeking a new trial.

Hudson was the first witness called by prosecutors in the trial of William Balfour, convicted last month of killing the Oscar-winning actress’ mother, brother and young nephew in 2008 because he was jealous that his estranged wife, Hudson’s sister, wanted out of the relationship and was seeing another man.