Kevin and Derrick Boseman said that their sister-in-law has not properly managed the estate in the nearly six years since the actor's death.
By ADAM S. LEVY, US SENIOR SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER
Published: 02:07 BST, 23 July 2026 | Updated: 02:07 BST, 23 July 2026
The brothers of late Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman have requested that his widow, Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman, be removed as the administrator of his $3.8 million estate, alleging she has not fulfilled her duties in the role. In a petition filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court and reviewed by the Daily Mail, Kevin and Derrick Boseman said Taylor has failed to properly manage the estate in the nearly six years since the Oscar-nominated star's death on August 28, 2020, following a battle with colon cancer. The brothers told the court that Taylor had not kept the family informed about business matters relating to the estate after the actor died without leaving a will. They referenced a 2022 court order stating that Chadwick's parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, were entitled to half of the estate's assets, with Taylor overseeing the remaining half. Taylor has 'never fully distributed [the] estate nor has she petitioned for discharge in the several years since this court's order for final distribution,' Kevin and Derrick alleged in the filing. They added that 'she continues to exercise complete control' over the estate without input from her in-laws.
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Kevin and Derrick Boseman and Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman for further comment on the story. Chadwick left 'behind a sizable estate that included residuals and royalties, rights to his image and intellectual property, investments, insurance policies, personal property, and multiple bank accounts' totaling more than $3.8 million, according to court docs. Kevin and Derrick told the court that Taylor has yet to tend to business duties linked to an insurance policy, his bank account totals, residuals from SAG-AFTRA and personal belongings that have yet to be forwarded to the late actor's parents.
Boseman's parents have not been able to move forward on potential business deals involving their late son due to Taylor's inaction with the proceeds of the estate, his brothers said in the legal filing. As such, the late actor's parents have been deprived 'of financial assets at a vulnerable age' and have suffered from 'emotional distress'. Kevin and Derrick said in the filing that they have sought to apprise Taylor of the pressing issues multiple times, to no avail. The late actor's brothers asked the court to 'enter an order to show cause for why [Taylor] should not be held in contempt for failure to obey' orders the court set forth four years back.
They requested the court order Taylor to forward the assets in the estate to the proper parties within a 30-day span, in addition 'to file a complete accounting.' The late actor's brothers said that the 'lack of transparency' from Taylor 'creates the appearance that she is concealing assets from [Boseman's] family and from the court.' Kevin and Derrick asked the court to remove Taylor from her administrative position in regard to the estate, and place lawyer Jason Rubin in the position moving forward. They also requested that Taylor be prevented from entering into any new business deals on behalf of the estate unless approved by the family.
Kevin and Derrick asked the court for Taylor 'to provide copies of all contracts entered on behalf of' the late actor's estate, as well as for Taylor to pay for 'reasonable attorney’s fees and costs' linked to the legal dispute. Chadwick Boseman’s death at 43 left Hollywood in shock. He had battled colon cancer for four years without publicly announcing his diagnosis. Among his most notable roles was King T’Challa in the 2018 smash hit Black Panther, a role which Marvel did not recast after his passing. He also played baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson in the 2013 movie 42 and Levee in the 2020 film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, for which he was posthumously nominated for an Oscar.