The world was shocked to learn that on August 28, 2020, Chadwick Boseman sadly passed away. The Black Panther actor had been battling stage three colon cancer since 2016. During Black-ish star Anthony Anderson’s ‘Stand Up to Cancer’ event at the weekend, Boseman’s wife Simone Ledward performed a heartfelt rendition of “I’ll Be Seeing You”.
We are honored to have Chadwick's wife #SimoneBoseman here tonight. Her incredibly powerful performance reminds us that we all have heroes in our lives. Now is the time to Stand Up for them and with them. 🧡 Give now at https://t.co/tNxh7oe6XK. pic.twitter.com/EwcyolYVmM
— Stand Up To Cancer (@SU2C) August 22, 2021
Anderson introduced Ledward to the stage, saying, “Many of us were devastated to learn of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing after he privately grappled with cancer for several years. The world lost an incredible artist and a true hero. But before he was a public figure, he was a person like you or me, a son, a brother, uncle, cousin, friend, colleague, husband. Many of us are all too familiar with the fracture a dearly loved one’s passing leaves in the lives of those who love them.”
Watch the tear-jerking tribute below.
The televised fundraising event supports research and new treatments for cancer. It was co-hosted by Anderson Ken Jeong, Tran Ho and Sofia Vergara. Special guests included Katie Couric, Brittany Howard, Common, Stevie Wonder and Reese Witherspoon.
Following Boseman’s death Ledward represented the actor during the 2021 awards season. When accepting a Golden Globe on his behalf she said, “He would say something beautiful. Something inspiring. Something that would amplify that little voice inside all of us that tells you you can. That tells you to keep going.”
Celebrities took to social media in droves to reflect on the actor’s powerful influence at the news of his death. Close friend and colleague Issa Rae described him as a “literal Black superhero”.
“Fell asleep crying. Woke up crying. I don’t know why this one hurts so badly,” she began. “Maybe it’s because we lost a literal Black superhero. Maybe it’s because your grace, class, kindness and dignity is so rare. Maybe it’s because you had to suffer in silence for so long, while some speculated, cruelly. Maybe it’s because we didn’t need to see another Black man’s life cut short. Maybe it’s because your Denzel-anointed legacy had so much more to offer. Maybe it’s because you felt like ours with every role you chose to embody. Maybe it’s because God wanted your light a bit closer.”
