The brothers of late actor Chadwick Boseman have petitioned a Los Angeles court to remove his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, as administrator of his estate, alleging six years of non-distribution and a lack of transparency regarding millions in assets, per people.com.
In legal documents filed in Los Angeles, Kevin and Derrick Boseman claim Ledward has exercised unilateral control over the estate since the Black Panther star died of colon cancer in August 2020 at age 43.
Boseman died without a will shortly after marrying Ledward, entitling her to 50% of his estate and his parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, to 25%.
The filing alleges Ledward failed to comply with a 2022 court order directing the distribution of specific assets, including a $40,000 long-term care policy intended for Boseman’s mother. The brothers further claim that several SAG-AFTRA residual payments, individual retirement accounts, bank accounts, and unclaimed property remain unaccounted for or inexplicably open.
According to the petition, Ledward has withheld critical information concerning image rights, intellectual property, and royalties, preventing Boseman’s parents from receiving their court-mandated share. Kevin and Derrick Boseman requested that the court replace Ledward with Jason Rubin, a private professional fiduciary and forensic accountant. Attorneys for both parties have not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Boseman’s death in 2020 sparked immediate legal complexities due to the absence of a formal will. The current dispute highlights long-standing tensions over the management of high-profile celebrity intellectual property and residual income streams following intestate deaths in Hollywood.
•Featured image: Chadwick Boseman and Simone Ledward/Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty