Chadwick Boseman’s brothers filed a petition last week seeking control of the late actor’s estate, accusing their brother’s widow of mismanagement and failing to distribute the assets.
The court filing from Derrick and Kevin Boseman says that since their brother did not leave a will, his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, inherited half of his estate while his parents were given an even split of the other half. But it was Ledward who was appointed administrator of the estate.
Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, the late actor’s parents, assigned the brothers to handle their interests in the estate and allowed them to file the petition against Ledward. Chadwick Boseman and Ledward did not have any children together.
The brothers accused Ledward of not distributing the estate to their parents and argued that she “continues to exercise complete control” without their input.
At the time of the “Black Panther” actor’s death, Ledward reported his estate to be worth more than $3.8 million in assets, according to the filing. This failed to take into account royalties, residuals, image and intellectual property rights, and other assets, the Boseman brothers’ filing said.
They also alleged to have learned of the existence of another bank account that Ledward had not accounted for and they “cannot determine the current status or whether it was distributed,” the filing said.
They also outlined concerns that Ledward engaged in contracts with third parties regarding the actor’s image and intellectual property without consulting his parents. The filing said that the unilateral decision-making by Ledward “exceeds her authority as administrator” in addition to creating emotional distress for the Boseman family.
“Imagine flipping through the channels and stumbling on a film starring your deceased son or brother, knowing that someone you do not know or trust is profiting from his image without your input or consent,” the filing said.
The family also negotiated a deal for a documentary about Chadwick Boseman’s life along with his widow, but the filing alleged that Ledward “entered a separate agreement” that she did not provide to them. That means they do not know if the agreement is “inequitable, adverse to, or conflicts with the estate’s interests,” the filing said.
“The nature of Decedent’s private battle with cancer meant that his seemingly sudden death at the height of his fame shocked most of the outside world,” the filing said. “As a result, the contemplated documentary will garner immense interest from Decedent’s millions of fans and attract significant proceeds.”
The Boseman brothers asked the court to replace Ledward with a private professional and forensic accountant to examine the estate’s management.
Representatives for Ledward did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.
Chadwick Boseman died at age 43 in 2020. His choice not to publicly disclose his colon cancer diagnosis meant that his death blindsided his fans and even some of his closest colleagues.
The actor was likely best known for his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Black Panther. The standalone film for the superhero, directed by Ryan Coogler, was a blockbuster, earning $1 billion in the month after its February 2018 release.
But Boseman was a dramatic heavyweight outside of the world of action and adventure.
The Howard University alumnus portrayed Black icons Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall and James Brown on the big screen. He was posthumously nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which also starred Viola Davis.
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