On Monday, Jan. 11, Taylor Simone Ledward-Boseman paid an emotional tribute to her late husband Chadwick Boseman while accepting an award in his honor at the 30th-annual IFP Gotham Awards.
People reported that during her first appearance since the actor’s death, the singer revealed while accepting the Gotham Awards Tribute prize that “as an artist, an actor, and a person,” the “Black Panther” star “made a practice of telling the truth. He is the most honest person I’ve ever met.”
Visibly flushed with emotion, she continued, “He actively searched for it, in himself, those around him and 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 life.”
She added, “So it became how he lived his life, day in and day out. Imperfect but determined. 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.”
Ledward-Boseman dove deeper into Chadwick’s character, saying, “He harnessed the power of letting go, and letting God’s love shine through. He realized that when one is able to recognize that when their strength does not come from themself, they rarely mess up. That’s what he was doing when he was acting. Modeling for us a path to true fulfillment.”
“May we not let his conviction be in vain. May our spirits be fertile soil for God’s wisdom to fall upon. So thank you. Praise God,” she added.
The 28-year-old expressed that it was an “honor to receive this award on behalf of my husband,” adding it was an “acknowledgment of not only his profound work but of his impact on this industry and this world.” Ledward-Boseman cried as she spoke directly to her late husband, “Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us. Thank you.”
Chadwick passed away in August 2020 after a long and private battle with colon cancer. He was 43.
He appeared posthumously in his last film, Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” opposite actress Viola Davis.
