The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of comic book characters, and in the case of Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman, he became a real-life hero to many young people. That’s part of what made Boseman’s 2020 death so tragic, and why Wakanda Forever (streaming with a Disney+ subscription) became a tribute to him. Now, six years after his passing, the actor’s lack of a will has inspired a legal battle about his estate. Let’s break it all down.
This news comes to us from TMZ, which reports that Boseman’s widow Taylor Simone Ledward is clashing with his brothers Kevin and Derrick over her handling of the late actor’s estate. The report says they submitted legal document last week, petitioning the court remove Simone as administrator of his estate. They reportedly claim that she’s mismanaged said estate, and has pushed the rest of Chadwick Boseman’s family out.
According to this report, Kevin and Derrik claim that the family is “in the dark” about the estate of the late actor’s estate. This outcome stands in juxtaposition to a 2022 agreement that Simone and the family made, where they’d split the movie between Taylor and Boseman’s parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman.
Despite the agreement happening four years ago, Chadwick Boseman’s brothers claim that his widow “has not finished distributing the estate’s assets” and that she allegedly is still controlling the Black Widow icon’s estate. That reportedly includes insurance that Boseman’s parents are entitled to. The brothers are asking the courts hold Taylor Simone in contempt for not following its 2022 orders. We’ll just have to wait and see how things ultimately shake out if/when they meet in a court of law.
The stakes certainly seem high for this ongoing legal situation. And given how many fans still adore Chadwick Boseman years after his death, smart money says that fans and the public in general will paying attention to any updates that come out of the battle over his estate. The actor’s brothers are reportedly hoping to get access to his estate, and would like Taylor Simone Ledward removed as its administrator and replaced by lawyer Jason Rubin.
Boseman’s estate reportedly includes his pay from acting roles, ongoing residuals and royalties, as well as his personal effects, investments, and insurance policies. The late actor’s career was thriving ahead of his sudden death, thanks to his ongoing tenure as Marvel’s Black Panther, as well as other movie roles like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, which saw Boseman nominated for a posthumous Oscar.
Only time will tell how things ultimately shake out with this ongoing situation between Chadwick Boseman’s widow and his family. One can only imagine how many complicated emotions all parties are feeling in the midst of their grief.
