Jennifer Hudson was the first witness to take the stand for the trial of William Balfour, the man charged with killing the singer’s mother, brother, and nephew.

Balfour has been charged with the murder of  Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, her brother JasonHudson, 29, and her 7-year-old nephew Julian King. Balfour allegedly killed Hudson’s family after Julia started dating another man.

During her brief but emotional testimony, she told jurors her family didn’t want her sister to marry Balfour and she spoke about the last time she saw her family members.

The singer at first seemed composed as a prosecutor began asking her questions. But the testimony became increasingly difficult, and she began crying when talking about seeing her family the Sunday before the killings and later when a prosecutor showed her a picture of her mother.

Her voice also broke as she described her reaction when her sister, Julia Hudson, told her she was going to marry Balfour.

“None of us wanted her to marry him,” she said, her voice cracking and struggling to hold back tears. “We did not like how he treated her,” she said.