Viola Davis, Ryan Coogler honor Chadwick Boseman at star ceremony
Family and friends of late actor Chadwick Boseman honored his legacy as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Chadwick Boseman’s brothers are accusing his widow of withholding assets from the late actor’s estate.
Derrick and Kevin Boseman filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, July 17, on behalf of their parents, against Taylor Simone Ledward, claiming she has failed to distribute the “Black Panther” star’s estate after he died without a will.
Ledward inherited 50% of the estate, while Boseman’s parents – Leroy and Carolyn Boseman – each inherited 25%, according to the petition. But Ledward, acting as the estate’s administrator, has yet to fully distribute it, “willfully defying a clear directive from this Court.”
The brothers also accuse Ledward of a “lack of transparency,” which they said “creates the appearance that she is concealing assets” from his family.
USA TODAY has reached out to Ledward’s rep for comment.
Ledward quietly married the actor shortly before his death in August 2020, but the couple had been dating since 2015. The pair did not share any children.
The brothers said in the filing that Ledward’s alleged misconduct has impacted the family, denying them “long overdue closure or participation in decision-making regarding matters” in Boseman’s estate and financial security at a “vulnerable age.”
“Imagine flipping through the channels and stumbling on a film starring your deceased son or brother, knowing that someone you do not know or trust is profiting from his image without your input or consent,” they said, per the petition.
Derrick and Kevin Boseman requested the court order Ledward to “show cause for why she should not be held in contempt for disobeying the Court’s order” and suspend her role as administrator pending her permanent removal, putting Jason Rubin, a forensic accountant, in her place to investigate the “mismanagement.”
The beloved actor – also known for roles in the Jackie Robinson and James Brown biopics “42” and “Get on Up,” respectively, and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” – died in 2020 at 43, following a four-year battle with colon cancer. His estate is valued at $3.8 million, according to the petition, citing a 2022 court order, though the brothers allege this total is incomplete and does not include SAG-AFTRA royalties and residuals, properties and undisclosed bank accounts amounting to nearly $3 million.
The filing is the latest in a string of high-profile disputes over celebrity estates. Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s widow recently challenged the late actor’s trust, arguing it failed to provide adequate support for her and their 9-year-old daughter.