Chadwick Boseman's Widow Simone Accepts His Posthumous Gotham Award with Tearful Speech

Chadwick Boseman was awarded a special posthumous Tribute Prize at the 2021 Gotham Awards and his widow Taylor Simone Ledward was on hand to accept the award.

Simone gave a touching and tearful speech in which she honored her late husband, who died last year at the age of 43 following a battle with colon cancer.

“He is the most honest person I’d ever met,” Simone said. “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.”

“So it became how he lived his life, day in and day out,” she continued. “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.”

Simone added, “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.”

While wrapping up the speech, she said, “Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us. Thank you.”

Chadwick is expected to get an Oscar nomination for his work in the Netflix movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.