Six years after his sad passing, fans are remembering the life and legacy of actor Chadwick Boseman, who died on August 28, 2020, at the age of 43 after a private four-year battle with colon cancer.
His death has left his family embroiled in a legal battle after his brothers took his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, to court over her handling of his multimillion-dollar estate.
Ledward previously spoke about moving on, saying she was sure Boseman wouldn’t want her life to be all about his legacy.
Friday, August 28, marked exactly six years since actor Chadwick Boseman passed away at 43 years old after secretly battling colon cancer.
Fans flooded social media with heartwarming messages to honor the Black Panther star.
“Rest in Peace, Chadwick A King on and off screen… Wakanda Forever,” a Reddit user wrote, while another added in part, “A beautiful person and an incredible actor. I still get annoyed at the nasty rumours and judgement he faced while battling cancer privately.”
Someone else wrote, “Decent man, inside and out. When he found out that his costar, Sienna Miller, was getting a significantly smaller paycheck for the same movie, he compensated from his own pocket. One in a million. Miss him.”
Another user was shocked by how fast the years have gone by, saying they “can’t believe it’s been six years already.”
Boseman’s Kindness Lives On Beyond His Films
Boseman’s legacy goes beyond his appearances in several hit movies, but also the smiles he helped put on the faces of many through his caring personality.
While going through his own battle with cancer, he donated his time to work with a few cancer foundations and regularly visited St. Jude and other children’s hospitals to surprise young fans.
In 2020, he donated $4.2 million worth of PPE equipment to hospitals serving the Black community at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He reportedly donated $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem to allow kids to see the Black Panther movie for free.
Even his fellow actors were not left out of his goodwill. When co-starring in the 2019 film 21 Bridges, Boseman quietly donated a portion of his own salary to co-star Sienna Miller so she would be compensated fairly after the studio refused her rate, per the BBC.
Chadwick Boseman’s Brothers Sue His Widow Over Estate
His death has seemingly taken a toll on the relationship between members of his family. Back in July, his brothers Derrick and Kevin Boseman took his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, to court over her handling of his estate.
The brothers filed a petition with a Los Angeles court to force her to share money with family members and also remove her as sole controller of his estate, per the BBC.
They claimed she “cannot be trusted with the continued administration of the estate” and has not been forthright in the fair distribution of the funds.
Boseman’s Widow Accused Of Withholding His Parents’ Money
According to the news outlet, court documents showed that the late star had assets worth $3.8 million but died without a will.
A court previously ruled that Ledward gets 50% of the estate, with 25% to each of his parents. She was also appointed sole administrator of the assets.
The brothers made the filing on behalf of their parents, claiming Boseman’s widow “has still not distributed the estate” and “continues to exert unilateral control” over it.
They also accused her of not being transparent about the workings of his assets, and of keeping their parents “in the dark” about the operations of the company looking after his image rights.
The situation is said to be “causing ongoing harm” to his parents and depriving them “of financial assets at a vulnerable age when such support is most critical.”
Taylor Simone Ledward Once Opened Up About Moving On
In a 2022 interview, Boseman’s widow spoke about moving on from his death and finding her own fulfillment, per ABC News. She acknowledged that the loss had been challenging, explaining that on some days things are good, while on others, they’re bad.
Ledward stated that she was focused on keeping his legacy but dispelled the “misconception that you have to do something big.”
“It doesn’t have to be something big,” she said, explaining that “what ends up being something big, actually, is that you carry them in your life.”
At the time, she added that she doesn’t believe Boseman would have wanted her to leave her own stuff behind and let his legacy overshadow her dreams.
“I know that Chad would never want me to make the rest of my life about his life, you know?” she added.
