How Chadwick Boseman's Estate Will Be Distributed After He Died Without a Will

Chadwick Boseman
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The 'Black Panther' star died in August 2020 after a battle with colon cancer.

It's been nearly two years since the world mourned the loss of Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, who died of colon cancer at age 43. Now, the late star's family is tasked with distributing his $2.5 million estate after he passed without a will and testament. 

According to court documents, obtained by ET, Boseman's estate will be split evenly between his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, and his parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman. 

Due to the fact that Boseman died without having a will in order, his estate had to pay significantly higher legal fees than if he had. The docs reveal the estate was valued at $3.8 million prior to the court fees. 

The remaining balance of Boseman's estate will be distributed by giving 50% to his widow, Taylor, and the remaining half going to his parents: 25% to Leroy and Carol, respectively. 

In October 2020, Ledward asked a judge to make her an administrator with limited authority of his estate and filed a probate case in Los Angeles. She and Boseman had quietly married before the actor's death, however, they had been privately dating before the actor's cancer diagnosis four years prior to his death. 

The late actor's family confirmed that he and Ledward had tied the knot in a statement announcing his death. "He died in his home, with his wife and family by his side," the statement revealed. 

In January 2021, Ledward accepted an honor from the Gotham Awards on Boseman's behalf. Moved to tears, she said of the actor, “He was able to give himself over fully in every moment, to be totally present in his own life and in the lives of people he became.”

“He was blessed to live many lives within his concentrated one. He developed his understanding of what it meant to be the none, the one and the all. A vessel to be poured into and out of," Ledward continued. "He harnessed the power of letting go and letting God’s love shine through.”

Boseman was a giant force in Hollywood, with a real-life likability that he channeled into roles such as Jackie Robinson in 2013's 42, and soul singer James Brown in 2014's Get on Up.

In 2018, Boseman cemented his legacy by playing the ruler of Wakanda in the Marvel epic Black Panther. At the time, Boseman said the film had changed what it means to be "young, gifted and Black." 

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