Simone Ledward Boseman Reflects on Grief and Legacy Five Years After Chadwick Boseman's Death
Simone Ledward Boseman is contemplating the five years that have elapsed since the passing of her husband, the acclaimed actor and writer Chadwick Boseman. "The edges of grief get less sharp over time," she observes. "Five years definitely feels like a marker. I've had to gradually figure out how I talk about Chad. What do I want to share, and what do I feel comfortable sharing? Can I find something that I might want to share in the midst of something I don't want to share?" She is speaking via a video call from her home in California, making an exception for this rare interview ahead of the UK premiere of her late husband's play, Deep Azure, currently in previews at Shakespeare's Globe in London.
The Shock of a Global Loss
When Boseman's death was announced in August 2020, the shock reverberated worldwide. He was just 43 years old, and his fame had skyrocketed with the release of Black Panther in 2018, where he portrayed T'Challa, the first Black superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The news was doubly shocking because his family had not previously disclosed his battle with colorectal cancer, a diagnosis he received in 2016 and kept private. "Something like a cancer diagnosis can get in the way of a lot of things," Ledward Boseman explains. "He never wanted to be treated differently. A lot of the roles he did were so physical, and he still wanted to do them. He did not want to be judged by what he was experiencing. He didn't want his diagnosis to interfere with the work."
Protecting Privacy and Navigating Public Interest
During their six years together, public interest in Boseman grew, extending to Ledward Boseman as well. She acknowledges that curiosity isn't always malicious but notes the risks of sharing personal details. "There's that danger in any sharing, because one person says something else, then another person says something else, and then it's on the wind. And the wind is going to carry it wherever it does," she says. This made privacy a priority for the couple. "When you're in a position like Chad's, everything you're doing has to be protected. You just have to be careful who you tell your plans to," she adds. The circle of those aware of his health was extremely small, limited to a few family members and friends.
A Love Story Born at the Hollywood Bowl
The pair first met in August 2014 at the Hollywood Bowl, where Ledward Boseman worked as an events executive and Boseman performed a duet with D'Angelo for a James Brown tribute concert. "He looked up at me with puppy dog eyes!" she recalls with a laugh, though they playfully disagreed on the details of their first encounter. Their romance blossomed, with a first date in Los Angeles's Franklin Village, and they eventually moved in together. However, as Boseman's fame grew with roles like T'Challa in the MCU, so did public scrutiny, including criticism of Ledward Boseman's mixed heritage. "It was a kind of pitting his real life relationship against his movie relationship," she says, referring to his on-screen partnership with Lupita Nyong'o.
Grieving in the Public Eye
After Boseman's death, Ledward Boseman faced immense pressure to grieve publicly and manage his legacy. "Those first two years were the most challenging of my life," she admits. "When you lose someone dear to you, two years might as well be two days. The shock of it. The shock of losing that person. For a year I was still waking up, having to remember." She found solace in a guiding principle: "I don't have to create his legacy, I just have to protect it. I just have to make sure that it doesn't get flattened. That's why I love talking about him – I think it's important that people understand him as a full human being." She was involved in the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, and has advocated for colorectal cancer awareness, though she remains cautious about reducing his life to his illness.
Healing Through Art: Deep Azure Revival
The revival of Boseman's play, Deep Azure, at Shakespeare's Globe offers a poignant opportunity for healing. The play, which explores grief after the murder of an unarmed Black man, mirrors a real-life incident Boseman experienced in college. Director Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu aims to create a safe space for exploring Black communal grief. Ledward Boseman found reading the play challenging but ultimately healing. "In the end, it was incredibly healing for me, but I had to take it in very small steps," she says. She has approved edits for the London production but hasn't read the entire script, honoring Boseman's tradition of keeping his work a surprise for her.
Moving Forward with Personal Projects
Ledward Boseman emphasizes that her life is not solely about serving her husband's legacy. "He would be upset if I made my life about his life," she states. She has moved back to Vallejo to be closer to family and is planning a neighbourhood wine bar. Additionally, she is pursuing her music career under the name sahn, with her second album, the garden, set for release in May. "From the point I met Chad, it's been hard to talk about myself and my work without talking about him. He just changed my whole life and my perspective of my life – he was my most important spiritual teacher," she reflects. She continues to find comfort in remembering him, quoting a poem that encourages speaking of loved ones in familiar ways.
