Getty Taylor Simone Ledward and Chadwick Boseman at the Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 27, 2019.
Taylor Simone Ledward was the longtime partner of the late actor Chadwick Boseman and they were married a few months prior to his death. Boseman died on August 28, 2020, at age 43 after battling colon cancer.
Ledward and Boseman largely kept their romance out of the spotlight and off social media. Ledward has only recently spoken publicly about her husband. She delivered an emotional tribute to him when she accepted an award on his behalf at the Gotham Awards on January 11.
Ledward performed this role again at the Golden Globes on February 28. Boseman won for “Best performance by an actor in a motion picture – drama” for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
Ledward tearfully explained that if Boseman had been there to accept the award, he would have said “something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you you can. That tells you to keep going, that calls you back to what you are meant to be doing at this moment in history.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Ledward Described Boseman as the ‘Most Honest Person’ She’d Ever Known & That He Had Been ‘Blessed to Live Many Lives’ Through His Acting
Boseman was honored with an Actor Tribute at the Independent Filmmaker Project’s Gotham Awards on January 11, which was streamed live on Facebook. As noted on the organization’s website, Boseman’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom co-star Viola Davis received the Actress Tribute.
Ledward appeared remotely to deliver her emotional tribute to her late husband. It was the first time she had spoken publicly about Boseman since his death, People reported. In her speech, which was transcribed in part by CNN, E! News and Entertainment Weekly, Ledward talked about Boseman’s view of the world and his role in it:
As an artist, an actor, and a person, Chad made a practice of telling the truth.
He was the most honest person I’d ever met because he didn’t just stop at speaking the truth. He actively searched for it in himself and those around him and in the moment. The truth can be a very easy thing for the self to avoid, but if one does not live in truth then it’s impossible to live in line with the divine purpose for your life. And so it became how he lived his life, day in and out. Imperfect but determined.
In doing so, he was able to give himself over fully in every moment, to be totally present in his own life and in the lives of people he became. He was blessed to live many lives within his concentrated one. He developed his understanding of what it meant to be the none, the one, and the all. “A vessel to be poured into and out of,” he’d said.
He harnessed the power of letting go and letting God’s love shine through. He realized when one is able to recognize that their strength does not come from themself, they rarely mess up. That’s what he was doing when he was acting. Not merely telling a story or reading lines off a page, but modeling for us a path of true fulfillment. May we not let his conviction be in vain. May our spirits be fertile soil for God’s wisdom to fall upon.
It is my honor to receive this award on behalf of my husband. An acknowledgment not only of his profound work but of his impact on this industry and this world.
Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us. Thank you.
Boseman was also nominated for Best Actor at the Gotham Awards. The prize went to Riz Ahmed for his role in Sound of Metal.
Ledward Was Granted ‘Limited Authority’ Over Boseman’s Estate in November 2020
GettyChadwick Boseman and Taylor Simone Ledward attend the “21 Bridges” screening at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on November 19, 2019 in New York City.
Boseman did not create a legal will before his death in August 2020, according to court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight. Two months after Boseman died, Ledward filed paperwork in the Superior Court of California to request control of Boseman’s estate “with limited authority,” NBC News’ Today show reported. Boseman’s estate had an estimated value of $938,500.
The court granted Ledward’s request in mid-November, People reported. It’s unclear how Boseman’s estate was ultimately divided. Boseman and Ledward did not have children. As Entertainment Tonight reported, Boseman’s parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, were also listed on the court documents.
Since Boseman’s death, Ledward has otherwise maintained a low profile. Her social media pages have either been deleted, such as her LinkedIn account or set to private, like her Instagram page.
Ledward May Be Working on a Cosmetics Line
California Secretary of State Taylor Simone Ledward launched “Brave Natural LLC” in late 2018.
As Heavy previously reported, Ledward studied music at California State Polytechnic University and pursued a singing career. According to her now-deleted LinkedIn account, Ledward also worked for an electronic music promotion company called Insomniac Events.
But according to California business records, Ledward made a shift in late 2018 toward entrepreneurship. Records available on the Secretary of State website show Ledward registered “Brave Natural LLC” in December 2018.
California Secretary of StateTaylor Simone Ledward launched “Brave Natural LLC” in late 2018.
A separate document filed in January 2019 lists Ledward as the founder and CEO. The type of business was described as “cosmetics.”
But it’s unclear whether Ledward has released a makeup line or brand, or when she may do so in the future. “Brave Natural” does not appear to have an active website and there have been no additional documents filed on the state’s website.
READ NEXT: Is the Baby Shark With a ‘Human Face’ Real?