Chadwick Boseman's parents seek court action to limit widow's control of estate
Boseman's parents have filed a petition in California court alleging that his widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, has not fully distributed estate assets and is exercising unilateral control over the actor's rights and company.
Chadwick Boseman's parents, Leroy and Carolyn Boseman, have asked a California state court to remove his widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, from her role as administrator of the estate. The petition, filed on July 17, claims that Ledward Boseman has failed to distribute the roughly $3.8 million estate, which includes cash, retirement accounts, a long-term care insurance policy and Chadwick Boseman Inc., the company that holds the actor's name and intellectual property.
Under California law, the estate was divided equally among the widow and the parents, each receiving a 25 percent share. The filing alleges that Ledward Boseman has not filed a petition for discharge, has not transferred certain assets owed to the family, and has not provided an accounting of transactions since she became administrator in 2020.
"By holding herself out as the sole authority over Decedent’s assets, she is defrauding anyone she contracts with and puts those agreements at risk of recission," the petition states.
The parents also contend that Ledward Boseman appointed herself CEO of Chadwick Boseman Inc. without board meetings and entered into contracts for a documentary and a production based on the actor's work without informing the other shareholders. They are seeking an injunction to prevent further unilateral decisions and request a full accounting of all estate transactions.
Ledward Boseman did not respond to a request for comment.