It’s been nearly six years since Chadwick Boseman’s tragic death, and his family is feuding over his fortune.
The “Black Panther” actor’s two older brothers, Derrick Boseman and Kevin Boseman, filed a lawsuit against Chadwick’s widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, on behalf of their parents, Leroy Boseman and Carolyn Boseman, according to documents obtained by Page Six on Tuesday.
The complaint asks the court to remove Mr. Ledward as administrator of Mr. Chadwick’s estate and order him to distribute the assets to Mr. LeRoy and Carolyn.
According to the documents, Chadwick’s wife failed to distribute her late husband’s assets, which included more than $3.8 million in assets and cash, as per a court order in 2022.
Derrick and Kevin allege in documents filed July 17 in Los Angeles that Ledward, who inherited 50% of the actor’s estate, was to distribute the other half equally to Chadwick’s parents, with each receiving 25%.
“Nearly four years later, (Taylor) still has not distributed the estate,” the document says.
“Instead, (Taylor) continues to exercise unilateral control over (Chadwick’s) estate, denying the (Chadwick’s) family long-overdue closure and decision-making participation in matters affecting Leroy and Carolyn’s interests in (Chadwick’s) estate.”
Chadwick’s brothers also claim in their application that Ledward “failed to fully account for” her late husband’s assets, including “royalties and residuals, image and intellectual property rights, real estate, previously private bank accounts, and other personal property.”
The brothers allege that Ledward, who previously claimed Chadwick’s assets included $241,000 in an IRA, $3.3 million in Chadwick Bozeman stock, and $151,000 in cash from 2022 in what the court deemed “true and correct” accounting, “did not formally account for numerous balance payments from SAG-AFTRA from 2020 to the present.”
Derick and Kevin claimed that Chadwick’s widow has not distributed the rights to the late actor’s intellectual property and image.
“These rights are properly vested in (Chadwick’s) heirs,” the document states, “and are ostensibly controlled by Chadwick Boseman, Inc., a corporation completely controlled by (Redward) through which she continues to profit from (Chadwick’s) fame.”
The brothers claim Ledward was “prevented” from “pursuing lucrative business opportunities that could benefit (Chadwick’s) elderly parents.”
Ultimately, it argued that Ledward’s “lack of transparency” surrounding the “42” actor’s fortune “creates the impression that she is hiding assets from[Chadwick’s]family and the court.”
Page Six has reached out to Mr. Ledward’s legal representatives for comment, but attorneys for Derrick and Kevin did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Boseman passed away without leaving a will at the age of 43 on August 28, 2020, after a private and long-term battle with colon cancer.
