Almost six years after the death of ‘Black Panther’ star Chadwick Boseman, his family has now filed a lawsuit, seeking to remove his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, as the executor of his estate.According to court documents obtained by E! News, Boseman’s brothers, Kevin Boseman and Derrick Boseman, filed the lawsuit on July 17 on behalf of their parents, Leroy Boseman and Carolyn Boseman, alleging that Ledward has failed to distribute his assets in accordance with a court order.
Family goals are not shared
In the filing, Boseman’s family claims that the actor’s widow did not properly divide the actor’s estate according to the 2022 court order, which mandated that 25% of the estate be divided between each of his parents.The lawsuit said, “About four years later, [Taylor] they have not yet shared the wealth, [Taylor] continues to control Decedent’s estate, denying Decedent’s family long-term closure or participation in decision-making regarding Leroy and Carolyn’s interests in Decedent’s estate. “
Chadwick Boseman’s USD 3.8 million estate
According to court records, Ledward previously listed Boseman’s estate as having approximately USD 151,000 in cash, USD 241,000 in an IRA account, and USD 3.3 million in stock. Chadwick Boseman, Inc.A 2022 court order found the findings to be “true and correct.” Ledward also waived his manager’s fee.
Claims for unknown assets
However, Boseman’s family is now arguing that the documents were incomplete. The lawsuit alleges that Ledward failed to adequately account for several other items, including wages and back pay, image and intellectual property rights, real estate, a previously undisclosed bank account and other assets.The filing also states that Mr. Ledward did not account for the remaining SAG-AFTRA funds from 2020, which, according to the family, should have been distributed according to the original court order.
Debate over image rights
Another important issue that has been highlighted in the case, concerns Boseman’s image and intellectual property rights. In their statement, the family says, “The rights belong to the Decedent’s heirs, but they are controlled by Chadwick Boseman, Inc., a corporation controlled by [Taylor] and that they continue to benefit from the Decedent’s reputation.”The family also claims that Mr. Ledward prevented them from pursuing a business related to Boseman’s estate that would have benefited his elderly parents.
The family is seeking Ledward’s expungement
Kevin and Derrick Boseman argue that Ledward’s handling of the property “makes it appear as if he is hiding property from the Decedent’s family and from the Court.” The lawsuit asks the court to compel Ledward to distribute the property pursuant to the 2022 decree and remove him as trustee.Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020 at the age of 43 following a secret four-year battle with colon cancer. The actor, who is best known for portraying King T’Challa in Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Panther’, died without leaving a will, prompting legal proceedings to investigate his estate.