Chadwick Boseman’s brothers launch legal war against his widow

A bitter legal battle has erupted over the estate of late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman nearly six years after his death from colon cancer.

The actor’s brothers, Kevin and Derrick Boseman, have asked a Los Angeles court to remove his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, as administrator of his estate.

The petition, filed on behalf of their parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, accuses Ledward of failing to distribute the remaining estate assets despite a court order issued in 2022.

Ledward has not publicly responded to the allegations.

Chadwick died without a will in August 2020 at the age of 43 following a private four-year battle with colon cancer.

He married Ledward about six days before his death after the couple had been together for approximately five years.

Because the actor died without a will, Ledward was entitled to 50 per cent of the estate, while his parents were each entitled to 25 per cent.

A court ordered the distribution of the remaining half of the estate to Leroy and Carolyn in October 2022.

However, Kevin and Derrick alleged that almost four years after the order, Ledward had neither completed the distribution nor filed the required documents to close the estate.

They claimed she continued to exercise complete control over the estate without consulting Chadwick’s parents or involving them in decisions affecting their interests.

The brothers alleged that Ledward’s actions had denied their elderly parents financial support at a vulnerable stage of their lives and prevented the family from achieving closure.

Among the disputed assets is a $40,000 long-term care policy that the brothers claimed should have been transferred to their mother, Carolyn, under the 2022 court order.

They alleged that the policy had still not been distributed.

The petition also raised questions about royalties, acting residuals, image and intellectual property rights, real estate, personal belongings and a previously undisclosed account at CNB.

Kevin and Derrick further claimed that one of Chadwick’s bank accounts and an individual retirement account remained open without a clear explanation.

They alleged that numerous residual payments from SAG-AFTRA dating from 2020 had not been properly accounted for.

The filing also claimed that unclaimed property belonging to the late actor had not been collected, documented or distributed.

According to the brothers, Ledward’s alleged lack of transparency created the appearance that estate assets were being concealed from Chadwick’s family and the court.

They also accused her of taking unilateral control of the actor’s image and intellectual property rights and continuing to benefit financially from his fame.

The brothers claimed Ledward had prevented Chadwick’s family from pursuing potentially lucrative business opportunities that could provide financial benefits to his elderly parents.

They maintained that Leroy and Carolyn had been excluded from decisions concerning their son’s legacy despite their financial interest in the estate.

The petition asks the court to require Ledward to explain why she should not be held in contempt for allegedly failing to comply with the 2022 distribution order.

The brothers also want the court to compel a full accounting of the estate and order the distribution of all outstanding assets.

They are seeking Ledward’s permanent removal as administrator and want forensic accountant and private professional fiduciary Jason Rubin appointed to replace her.

Rubin would be responsible for examining the estate’s finances, identifying any undistributed assets and ensuring that the court’s orders are implemented.

The legal battle marks a dramatic turn in the relationship between Ledward and Chadwick’s family, who have appeared together at events celebrating the actor’s life and achievements.

Ledward has accepted several posthumous honours on her husband’s behalf, including an Emmy Award and his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Derrick also represented his late brother when the actor was posthumously honoured as a Disney Legend.

Chadwick became an international star through his portrayal of T’Challa in Black Panther and other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

He also received critical acclaim for playing prominent Black historical figures, including baseball legend Jackie Robinson in 42, singer James Brown in Get On Up and lawyer Thurgood Marshall in Marshall.

His final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom earned him a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

Chadwick kept his cancer diagnosis private while continuing to work on major film projects.

His death on August 28, 2020, shocked fans and colleagues around the world because he had not publicly disclosed his illness.

The court has yet to rule on his brothers’ request to remove Ledward as administrator of the estate.