Chadwick Boseman’s family fighting over late ‘Black Panther’ actor’s estate 6 years after his tragic death

The estate of the late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman is currently the subject of a legal dispute between his widow and his parents. Nearly six years after the actor passed away following a private battle with colon cancer, court documents filed in Los Angeles indicate his brothers are seeking to remove his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, as the administrator of the estate.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, alleges that Ledward has failed to distribute assets as required by a court order from 2022. According to the filing, the estate was meant to be divided with Ledward receiving 50 percent, while the parents were to receive 25 percent each. The plaintiffs claim that Ledward has kept sole control over the assets, which they estimate include millions in cash and stock, as well as various royalties and intellectual property rights.

Beyond the distribution of existing funds, the brothers contend that Ledward has not been transparent regarding the full scope of the estate. The legal filing specifically mentions residual payments from SAG-AFTRA and other assets that they believe have not been properly accounted for. They further allege that she has restricted their ability to participate in financial decisions that could impact the parents' interests.

Boseman died without leaving a will in August 2020. Since his death, his widow has maintained her role as administrator. Representatives for the parties involved have yet to issue detailed statements regarding these new claims of concealed assets and administrative failure. The court will now need to evaluate whether the current management of the estate violates previous directives or warrants a change in leadership.