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 the estate.
The petition, filed on behalf of their parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, accuses Ledward of failing to distribute the remaining assets despite a court order issued in 2022.
Ledward had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of the report.
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 Chadwick’s estate to Leroy and Carolyn in October 2022.
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 unilateral control over the estate without consulting Chadwick’s parents about decisions affecting their interests.
Assets at centre of Chadwick Boseman estate dispute
Among the disputed assets is a $40,000 long-term care policy that the brothers claimed should have been transferred to their mother, Carolyn.
They alleged that the policy had not been distributed despite the 2022 court order.
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 claimed that one of Chadwick’s bank accounts and an individual retirement account remained open without a clear explanation.
They further alleged that numerous residual payments from SAG-AFTRA dating from 2020 had not been properly accounted for.
The brothers said unclaimed property belonging to the actor had also not been collected, documented or distributed.
According to the petition, Ledward’s alleged lack of transparency created the appearance that assets were being concealed from Chadwick’s family and the court.
They also accused her of assuming unilateral control of his image and intellectual property rights and continuing to benefit financially from his fame.
The brothers claimed Ledward had prevented the family from pursuing potentially profitable business opportunities that could support Chadwick’s elderly parents.
They argued that Leroy and Carolyn had been excluded from decisions concerning their son’s legacy despite their legal 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 distribution order.
Kevin and Derrick also want the court to compel a full accounting and immediate distribution of all outstanding assets.
They are seeking Ledward’s permanent removal as administrator and want forensic accountant and professional fiduciary Jason Rubin appointed to replace her.
Rubin would be responsible for examining the estate’s finances, identifying undistributed property and implementing the court’s orders.
The dispute marks a dramatic turn in the relationship between Ledward and Chadwick’s family, who have appeared together at events celebrating the actor’s 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 represented his late brother when Chadwick was 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 earned acclaim for playing 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.
The court has yet to rule on his brothers’ request to remove Ledward as administrator of the estate.
