Hollywood Star Chadwick Boseman, dies of cancer without drafting his Estate Plan
This is an unbelievable story. Chadwick Boseman the award winning actor, found out he had stage 3 cancer and still died without creating a Will. Presumably he had agents, and often they are also licensed attorneys. So it is surprising that he was not advised on benefits of creating a Revocable Living Trust with Pour Over Will and making sure his home was properly titled for his wife. Perhaps he was advised on such... but just did not take care of it.
His assets were almost $1 million USD. Read more details below...
Nearly two months after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, star of films including “Black Panther” and “42,” his wife has filed documents in probate court, according to recent reports.
The celebrity, who succumbed to cancer at the age of 43 in August, died without a will. His widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, asked to be named an administrator of Boseman’s estate, according to TMZ, which obtained the probate documents. Ledward married Boseman earlier this year after being together for five years. She listed his estate as almost $1 million — $938,500, to be exact, according to Page Six. The documents state Boseman is also survived by his two parents.
The actor, who continued to work even after being diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer in 2016, is far from the first celebrity to die without a will. Prince died without a will — also known as intestate — which caused chaos when numerous people began claiming family ties to the performer. Guitarist Jimi Hendrix also died without a will.
There are also instances when celebrities haven’t done enough, or the proper, estate planning. Late singer Aretha Franklin allegedly wrote three wills, but some were outdated or had illegible handwriting. The months following the death of Stan Lee, the creator of the Marvel Universe that Boseman played in, were also challenging because of a messy estate plan.
Only a third of people said they had a will in 2020, 24% less than in 2017, according to a Caring.com and YouGov survey of 2,400 people. Older and middle-aged adults were 20% and 25% less likely to have a will this year than last, they said. The reasons? They hadn’t gotten around to it, they didn’t have enough money to leave anyone, it was too expensive to set up or they didn’t know how to go about the process.
While it may seem like a daunting task, creating the right estate plan and filling out the proper documentation is crucial — not just for an individual’s assets but for their families peace of mind.
