Chadwick Boseman’s Wife Files Probate Case as ‘Black Panther’ Star Died Without Will

Chadwick Boseman’s widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, is asking a judge to make her an administrator with limited authority of his estate, according to Entertainment Tonight, which obtained court documents filed in Los Angeles Thursday. According to the documents, when the Black Panther star passed away tragically on Aug. 28 at just 43 following a battle with colon cancer, he “died intestate,” meaning without a legal will.

The documents list Boseman’s estimated estate at about $938,500, and only makes mention of Ledward and his parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman. The 42 actor quietly married Ledward before his death, having started dating before his cancer diagnosis four years ago and reportedly getting engaged last year. Boseman’s family confirmed their marriage while announcing his death in August, writing, “He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side.”

Chadwick’s brothers, Kevin Boseman and pastor Derrick Boseman, shared what their last moments together were like with The New York Times earlier this month. The day before Chadwick died, he told Derrick, “Man, I’m in the fourth quarter and I need you to get me out of the game.” At that moment, Derrick said he changed his prayers. “When he told me that, I changed my prayer from, ‘God heal him, God save him,’ to ‘God, let your will be done.’ And the next day he passed away.”

Kevin said he has been trying to “remember Chad and not Chadwick” following the massive public mourning of his little brother. “And there’s just been a lot of Chadwick in the air,” he noted. When someone is a star, Kevin reflected, “You have to start sharing that person with the world; I always endeavored to just treat him like my brother.”

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler admitted after the death of his movie’s star that he had never even known Chadwick was sick, that’s how private he kept his diagnosis. “After his family released their statement, I realized that he was living with his illness the entire time I knew him,” Coogler said. “It’s no secret to me now how he was able to skillfully portray some of our most notable ones. I had no doubt that he would live on and continue to bless us with more. But it is with a heavy heart and a sense of deep gratitude to have ever been in his presence, that I have to reckon with the fact that Chad is an ancestor now. And I know that he will watch over us until we meet again.”