‘I Cried’: Chadwick Boseman’s Widow, Simone Ledward-Boseman, Recounts How She Felt After Ryan Coogler Asked for Her Input for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

People have been preparing themselves for the premiere of the highly anticipated sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Fans are itching to see who will assume the role of the fan favorite super hero after late actor Chadwick Boseman tragically succumbed to colon cancer in 2020.

Many have wondered about the movie’s premise since director Ryan Coogler did not re-cast Boseman’s character, but chose to honor his legacy during the film. 

I Cried': Chadwick Boseman's Widow, Simone Ledward-Boseman, Recounts How She Felt After Ryan Coogler Asked for Her Input for 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 22: Taylor Simone Ledward and Chadwick Boseman attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on October 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

In an exclusive interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” the 43-year-old’s widow, Simone Ledward Boseman, spoke out for the first time about Coogler’s choice as well as life after her husband’s untimely death. 

Ledward Boseman revealed Coogler included her in his process by asking her for insight concerning his project.

She told ET, “I struggle to even find the words but I cried when he called me to ask me my thoughts and say, ‘How do you feel about this?’ ” 

She continued, “I think he really has done a beautiful job of reflecting what the reality of grief is and about that it doesn’t leave but other things happen in the world and we can’t just lay down and stop our work.”

She added, “We really do have to keep moving and he’s done that both behind the camera and with what everyone will see.” 

Ledward Boseman also spoke to EGOT winner Whoopi Goldberg for “Good Morning America,” in a talk in which she discussed Boseman’s legacy and how she manages to push through her days as she continuously deals with grief. 

“Some days I’m doing worse than I’m really willing to acknowledge, and other days I’m doing better than I feel comfortable admitting. You know the grief really, it moves in.” 

Goldberg noted to her co-hosts that Ledward Boseman is a “force to be reckoned with” saying, “If anybody’s going to take that legacy forward, it’s going to be her.” 

Fans looking to continue watching Ledward Boseman’s full interview can tune into ABC’s 20/20 premiere of “Black Panther: In Search of Wakanda,” which airs Friday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. EST, and streams on Hulu the very next day.

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