Two years ago, the world was shocked when beloved actor Chadwick Boseman passed away from colon cancer. Most of the world didn’t even know that he was sick. What has been surprising, still, is that the actor did not leave a final will and testament. It has only now been determined, two years later, how his estate will be divided up.
Chadwick Boseman Did Not Leave A Final Will And Testament
It has been almost two years since the world lost the incredible actor Chadwick Boseman. He was known for being one of the most likable guys in Hollywood as well as an extraordinarily talented actor. Some of his highlight roles include Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up, and most famously the Wakandan King in Black Panther. Chadwick Boseman himself said that the movie changed what it meant to be “young, gifted, and black”. (1)
Unfortunately, when the actor died, he did not leave a final will and testament. This meant that it has taken quite some time for the legal processes and the dividing of his estate to be done. It also meant that legal fees for doing so were much more expensive. According to the documents, the estate was originally valued at $3.8 million. Due to the higher legal fees to sort it, however, the final value was $2.5 million. (2)
How Chadwick Boseman’s Estate Will Be Divided
The document states that Chadwick’s $2.5 million estate will be divided equally between his wife, Taylor Simone Leward, and his parents Leroy and Carolyn Boseman. This means that Taylor will receive 50% of the estate and each of his parents will receive 25%, equaling half of the estate to be shared equally between the two of them.
Many people did not know until after Chadwick’s death that he was married. He and Taylor dated quietly for four years prior to his cancer diagnosis. Before he died, they got married. This, too, was done quietly. So quietly, in fact, that no one outside of his inner circle knew – much like his cancer diagnosis itself.
The family revealed the truth about his marriage to Taylor in a statement that they released after Chadwick Boseman’s death. The statement said this:
“He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.”
Taylor Leward Has Nothing But Wonderful Things To Say About Her Late Husband
In October of 2020, Taylor requested a judge that they make her administrator with limited authority over her husband’s estate. She filed a probate case in Los Angeles. The judge granted her request. The rest of the judgments were made by a Probate Referee. (3)
Taylor accepted an honor from the Gotham Awards on Chadwick’s behalf in January of 2021. When she accepted the award, she gave a short speech. She spoke about how incredible of both an actor and a person Chadwick Boseman was. Her own words brought her to tears, as well as many sitting in the audience.
“He was able to give himself over fully in every moment, to be totally present in his own life and in the lives of people he became,” she said. “He was blessed to live many lives within his concentrated one. He developed his understanding of what it meant to be the none, the one and the all. A vessel to be poured into and out of. He harnessed the power of letting go and letting God’s love shine through.”
The world not only lost an incredible actor when Chadwick Boseman died. They lost a kind, hard-working person. The black community, especially, lost an incredible role model for young people everywhere. Particularly in his role as The Black Panther, young black people were able to see themselves depicted as a superhero. The Black Panther was one of the first movies to truly celebrate black excellence. He is missed by many and will be missed for many years to come.
Keep Reading: John Cena Posted A Pic Of His Black Twins Who Dubbed As ‘Black John Cena’
Sources
- “How Chadwick Boseman’s Estate Will Be Distributed After He Died Without a Will.” CBS8. Leah Sarnoff. June 28, 2022.
- “How Chadwick Boseman’s Estate Will Be Distributed After He Died Without a Will.” ET Online. Leah Sarnoff. June 28, 2022.
- “Chadwick Boseman’s Widow Taylor Simone Ledward Appointed Personal Representative of His Estate.” ET Online. Jennifer Drysdale. November 19, 2020.