A legal dispute has emerged over the administration of late actor Chadwick Boseman’s estate, with his parents seeking to remove his widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, from her role overseeing the actor’s assets, writes The Hollywood Reporter.
Boseman’s parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, filed a petition in a California state court accusing Ledward Boseman of failing to distribute estate funds as required by a court order and mismanaging the company that controls Chadwick’s rights and previous works.
The petition asks the court to hold Ledward Boseman in contempt and prevent her from having sole control over estate property.
Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020 from colon cancer without leaving a will.
Under California law, his estate was divided equally among his widow and his parents, with each receiving a 25 per cent share.
According to the filing, the estate has not been fully distributed.
The petition claims Ledward Boseman has continued to control the assets while keeping Boseman’s parents away from decisions involving property they jointly own.
The estate is estimated to be worth around $3.8 million, including cash, retirement accounts, a long-term care insurance policy and Chadwick Boseman Inc., the company that manages rights linked to the actor’s name and intellectual property.
Boseman’s parents allege that some assets owed to them have not been transferred.
They also claim that certain financial details, including residual payments from SAG-AFTRA and a previously undisclosed bank account, have not been properly accounted for.
The petition also raises concerns over the management of Boseman’s image and intellectual property rights.
Ledward Boseman and the actor’s parents each hold a 50 per cent ownership stake in Chadwick Boseman Inc.
The filing alleges that Ledward Boseman took control of the company’s operations without holding board meetings and entered agreements involving Chadwick’s rights and creative works without informing other beneficiaries.
These deals reportedly include a documentary project with Words + Pictures Productions about the actor’s life and an agreement related to Deep Azure, a project written by Boseman.
The petition claims her actions have affected potential business opportunities that could benefit Boseman’s parents and created disagreements among the estate’s beneficiaries.
Ledward Boseman, who began dating the Black Panther star in 2015 and married him shortly before his death in 2020, has not responded to requests for comment.
Boseman’s parents are seeking her removal as estate administrator and have requested a complete financial account of all transactions made since she took control of the estate in 2020.
