Chadwick Boseman's family fighting over estate in court
Chadwick Boseman’s family fighting over his estate has landed in Los Angeles court, where brothers Derrick and Kevin Boseman sued widow Taylor Simone Ledward on behalf of parents Leroy and Carolyn. Filings obtained by Page Six allege Ledward has not distributed each parent’s 25% share nearly four years after a 2022 court order.
Key Takeaways
- Derrick and Kevin Boseman filed a July 17 Los Angeles lawsuit seeking to remove Ledward as estate administrator.
- Court papers say Ledward inherited 50% and was to give 25% each to parents Leroy and Carolyn Boseman.
- The brothers allege more than $3.8 million in assets still has not been distributed despite a 2022 order.
- They also claim incomplete accounting of residuals, image rights, and other property; Ledward’s side was asked for comment.
What is Chadwick Boseman’s family fighting about?
Nearly six years after the Black Panther star’s death, his relatives are locked in a legal battle over control and payout of his estate. According to Page Six, documents show Derrick and Kevin Boseman sued Taylor Simone Ledward for their parents.
The filing asks a judge to remove Ledward as administrator and order distribution of assets to Leroy and Carolyn Boseman. The brothers say she still holds unilateral control, denying the family closure and a say in decisions affecting the parents’ interests.
Why has the estate dispute lasted years after his death?
Boseman died Aug. 28, 2020, at 43 after a private, yearslong colon cancer battle, and notably without a will. A 2022 court order required distribution of the estate, which then included more than $3.8 million in assets and cash.
Ledward inherited half; the other half was to go equally to his parents—25% each. “Nearly four years later, [Taylor] has still not distributed the estate,” the July 17 documents state, per Page Six.
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What do the brothers allege about the estate accounting?
Derrick and Kevin allege Ledward “failed to fully account” for royalties and residuals, image and intellectual property rights, real property, a previously undisclosed bank account, and other personal property.
In 2022, Ledward’s accounting listed about $241,000 in an IRA, $3.3 million in Chadwick Boseman, Inc. stock, and $151,000 in cash—deemed “true and correct” by the court. The brothers now claim she did not officially account for numerous SAG-AFTRA residual payments from 2020 onward.
They further say image and IP rights “properly belong to [Chadwick’s] heirs” but are managed through Chadwick Boseman, Inc., which they say Ledward controls and through which she continues to profit from his fame. They also claim she blocked business opportunities that might have helped his elderly parents and that her lack of transparency creates the appearance of concealing assets from the family and the court.
Page Six said it sought comment from Ledward’s lawyers; attorneys for Derrick and Kevin did not immediately respond.