Chadwick Boseman's brothers ask court to remove his widow as administrator of his estate
Chadwick Boseman's brothers Derrick Boseman and Kevin Boseman have asked a Los Angeles court to remove their late brother's widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, as administrator of his estate, according to a petition filed last week filed on behalf of their parents.
In the petition, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, Derrick and Kevin Boseman allege that following the Oscar nominee's death in 2020, Ledward, who inherited 50% of her late husband's estate and was appointed as administrator, "never fully distributed" the remaining 50% of his estate, despite a 2022 probate order requiring her to do so.
According to the petition, because Chadwick Boseman did not leave behind a will when he died, 50% of his estate passed to Ledward, while his parents Leroy and Carolyn Boseman inherited 25% each.
A Los Angeles court ordered Ledward to distribute the remaining half of the actor's estate to his parents on Oct. 4, 2022.
"Nearly four years later," the brothers allege, "Respondent has still not distributed the estate, nor has she filed a petition for discharge with receipts as required ... instead, Respondent continues to exert unilateral control over Decedent's estate, denying Decedent's family long overdue closure or participation in decision-making regarding matters affecting Leroy and Carolyn's interests in Decedent's estate."
The brothers allege that this has caused "ongoing harm" to their parents.
"By failing to distribute Decedent's estate, Respondent deprives Leroy and Carolyn of financial assets at a vulnerable age when such support is most critical," they allege. "Moreover, the needless continuation of these proceedings denies Decedent's family closure and causes emotional distress."
The petition asks the court to compel Ledward to show why she shouldn't be held in contempt of court for failing to comply with the 2022 order and to compel her to fully distribute as required her late husband's assets, which include "royalties and residuals, image and intellectual property rights, real property, a previously undisclosed bank account at CNB, and other personal property."
The brothers also requested that Ledward be removed as estate administrator and replaced by a private professional fiduciary and forensic accountant, in order to investigate any alleged estate mismanagement and "any unaccounted-for assets."
The petition additionally asks the court to require Ledward to provide a complete accounting of estate assets, including SAG-AFTRA residuals, royalties, and more, arguing that the family would be unable to determine whether everything has been properly distributed without those records.
ABC News has reached out to representatives for Ledward and Derrick and Kevin Boseman for comment.
Chadwick Boseman, who is known for his role as King T'Challa in "Black Panther" and films like "42," "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" and more, died Aug. 28, 2020, at the age of 43, following a private battle with colon cancer.
