Chadwick Boseman’s widow Taylor Simone Ledward hits back at his brothers over $3.4 million estate dispute, says $150,000 was already paid to Derrick and Kevin and calls lawsuit a ‘public-relations stunt’ | English Movie News
Taylor Simone Ledward, the widow of late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, is pushing back against a legal effort by his two older brothers to have her removed as administrator of his estate.According to new court documents obtained by Page Six, Ledward has accused Boseman’s brothers, Derrick and Kevin, of launching a “public-relations stunt to smear [her] in the tabloid press.” Her response comes after the siblings filed a lawsuit in July alleging that Ledward had failed to properly distribute Boseman’s estate as required under a 2022 court order.The brothers filed the lawsuit on behalf of their parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman. Ledward has denied the allegations, maintaining that she has distributed the estate’s assets as required, with the exception of an account she says was blocked because of the brothers’ own legal action.
Taylor Simone Ledward says she went beyond estate requirements
In a strongly worded response filed Thursday in Los Angeles court, Ledward’s attorney Adam Streisand argued that she has not only complied with the court order but has gone beyond what was required.“Simone has not only complied with the Order, but as a product solely of her own extraordinary generosity, she has gone well beyond what was required of her,” Streisand wrote.The filing further states that Ledward’s generosity toward the Boseman family has been both financial and collaborative, adding that she has continued efforts to preserve Chadwick Boseman’s legacy after his death.“This is how the family repays her: a Petition replete with falsehoods under oath, purposefully used as a public-relations stunt to smear Simone in the tabloid press, not to mention the collateral damage it has caused to her husband’s legacy,” the filing states.Streisand also described the brothers’ allegations as a “baseless attack” on Ledward and urged the court to deny their petition.
Boseman’s widow says estate assets have been distributed
According to the new court documents, Ledward says she has distributed “all of the assets of Chadwick’s Estate save one account Petitioners themselves blocked from distribution.”The filing lists several assets, including $151,558 in a Bank of America account, 100 shares of Chadwick Boseman, Inc. valued at approximately $3.4 million, a $40,000 life insurance policy and another bank account containing $241,180.75.The documents also reference unclaimed property valued at $0.88.A $300,000 IRA has not been distributed, according to the filing, because Ledward says the account was blocked following previous legal action by the brothers.The response also disputes claims that Ledward has withheld money from Boseman’s family. It states that she voluntarily gave more than $300,000 of her own money to Derrick’s four children.“Simone’s generosity is hardly consistent with an administrator who is blocking the final distribution of the Estate to deprive Petitioners’ parents of what they’re entitled to, as Petitioners would have this Court believe,” the filing states.
Brothers allege Ledward failed to distribute Boseman’s estate
Derrick and Kevin previously alleged in their lawsuit that Ledward inherited 50% of Boseman’s estate, while the remaining half was supposed to be divided equally between his parents, with each receiving 25%.Their lawsuit claims that “nearly four years later, [Taylor] has still not distributed the estate.”Ledward’s response strongly disputes that characterization.“To be clear, no Estate asset has been lost, wasted, or mismanaged,” the filing states. It adds that Ledward administered the estate transparently and in consultation with the petitioners and that she intends to distribute the remaining IRA funds once the legal restrictions preventing the distribution are resolved.The filing also states that Ledward “will distribute the funds from the CNB IRA that CNB held back only because Petitioners demanded it.”
Ledward says she has continued Chadwick Boseman’s legacy
The court response also details several projects Ledward says she has pursued to honor Boseman’s legacy.According to the filing, she established the Chadwick Boseman Foundation for the Arts, licensed a production of Boseman’s play Deep Azure at Shakespeare’s Globe in London and secured a documentary deal.The filing says these efforts were undertaken with the knowledge and participation of the petitioners and structured to benefit both sides of the family equally.The documents also reveal that the estate received approximately $300,000 in residuals from SAG-AFTRA following Boseman’s death.Under the 2022 order, those residuals were to be divided with 25% going to each of Boseman’s parents and 50% to Ledward. However, the filing states that, at the request of Boseman’s parents, Ledward distributed $75,000 in residuals to each of Derrick and Kevin, totaling $150,000 for the 2020–2024 period.
Chadwick Boseman married Taylor Simone Ledward days before his death
The new court documents also provide details about Boseman and Ledward’s marriage shortly before his death.Boseman died at age 43 on August 28, 2020, following a private battle with colon cancer. He died without a will, according to previous court filings.Ledward’s response states that she cared for Boseman throughout his illness and that the couple married shortly before his death.“Simone stood by Chadwick’s side and cared for him throughout his battle with cancer,” the filing states. “It was no surprise that, notwithstanding the end of his life was near, Chadwick wanted Simone to be his wife.”Boseman and Ledward married on August 21, 2020, just six days before his death. According to the court documents, Boseman’s brother Derrick officiated the wedding.
Legal battle continues over Boseman’s estate
Ledward’s latest filing also claims that Boseman’s brothers had previously threatened her with litigation while she was grieving the actor’s death.The response states that five years after Boseman’s death, the brothers filed their lawsuit and that details of the case were reported publicly before Ledward was aware of the filing.The dispute now places Boseman’s estate and the administration of his assets at the center of a legal battle involving his widow and his family.An attorney for Derrick and Kevin has been contacted for comment by the publication.
