Chadwick Boseman's Widow Just Shared A New Heartbreaking Tribute To The Star
At the 30th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, presented by the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), Chadwick Boseman's widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, virtually accepted the Actor Tribute award on his behalf with a moving statement about his work and his life.
"As an artist, an actor, and a person, Chad made a practice of telling the truth," she said. "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."
She also seemed to touch on the diversity of the characters he'd played and what that brought to his life. Simone shared, "He was blessed to live many lives within his concentrated one. He developed his understanding of what it meant to be the one, the none and the all. 'A vessel to be poured into and out of,' he'd said."
This was Simone Ledward Boseman's first time speaking publicly after her husband's death
Towards the end of the short speech, Simone Ledward Boseman understandably teared up but kept going, saying, "Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us."
The Black Panther star had been fighting colon cancer since 2016, and passed away at the age of 43 this past August, and this was the first time that Simone spoke publicly about her husband since he died (via Vulture). He received the award for his work on this year's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and the IFP explained the reason for the award in a press release.
"Chadwick Boseman was an incredibly talented actor whose significance and impact onscreen and kindness offscreen will never be forgotten," the statement read (via The Root). "We at IFP are forever indebted to him for all of his contributions to our organization, his legacy in providing mentorship and we are proud to honor him and all of his historical and groundbreaking contributions with this tribute."
His co-star in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Viola Davis, received the Actress Tribute this year.