Chadwick Boseman’s Wife Opens Up About Life After His Passing

Chadwick Boseman’s widow Simone Ledward sat down for her first interview since his untimely passing in 2020.

The musician and singer spoke with Whoopi Goldberg for ABC about a range of topics including how they met, his long fought battle with colon cancer and how she’s doing in the wake of his death.

“Some days, I’m doing worse than I’m really willing to acknowledge. Other days, I’m doing better than I feel comfortable admitting,” Simone shared.

She revealed that it was during the COVID-19 pandemic that her husband’s health really began to “spiral,” as he managed through his fourth year battling colon cancer.

She says as a result of the mandatory stay at-home order they were able to keep the severity of his illness private. “Our circle was tight, it was literally, a dot,” she said.

The interview comes just days before Black Panther:Wakanda Forever hits theaters.

Boseman helped set the foundation for the franchise, playing T’Challa/ Black Panther, becoming the first Black superhero in the MCU. Simone told Goldberg the role was extremely important to him and essentially catapulted him to global fame.

“I can’t believe that I was so lucky,” she said tearfully. “I can’t believe that I got to love this person, and I also got them to love me too.”

Related: All The Pics From “Wakanda Forever: Black Panther” Premiere

Boseman’s legacy lives on in a scholarship created in his name at his “beloved” alma mater, Howard University. The university’s college of fine arts has also been renamed in Boseman’s honor.

“We have four scholars. One of them graduated this past year, and was very proud to be the first graduating Boseman scholar of the first graduating class of the Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts,” Simone said.