Almost six years after Chadwick Boseman’s death, his widow has opened up further about his private fight with cancer.
The Black Panther and 21 Bridges actor battled colon cancer away from the public eye for four years before he died in August 2020. He was 43.
The news stunned fans worldwide, in large part because Boseman had kept his diagnosis closely guarded. Reports suggested he didn’t even share it with his Black Panther co-stars, despite the cast’s close bond.
He also did not disclose his illness to Marvel and Disney, as he was hopeful he would be able to live long enough to make Black Panther 2, NME reported. He died a year before filming began.
In the US, colon cancer deaths at Boseman’s age are not as rare as many might assume. The disease is among the most common cancers affecting both men and women, and as of 2024 it ranked as the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in America, according to USA Facts.
Boseman was diagnosed in 2016 with Stage 3 colon cancer. His wife, Simone Ledward Boseman, said she hadn’t noticed symptoms before he sought medical help and had already been to the doctor twice.
“It all seemed to come about very suddenly,” Simone said on TODAY. ” It was a matter of weeks that he started not feeling well.”
She added that colon cancer can be difficult to spot early, calling it ‘really tricky in that way’.
“Because he was so young, he wasn’t even at the point where he would consider having a colonoscopy,” Simone added.
Common symptoms of colon cancer can include changes in bowel habits such as diarrhoea, constipation, or narrowing of the stool, as well as blood in the stool—either bright red or darker and tar-like in appearance.
Some people may also develop abdominal cramps and bloating.
Simone also spoke about why her husband chose not to share his diagnosis publicly.
“Chad was not a person that would have wanted to be treated any differently because people knew that he was sick,” she said.
Explaining why he continued working while undergoing treatment, she said: “The work is what was keeping him moving, so he didn’t want the work to suffer just because he was sick.
“He didn’t want to be handled with kid gloves because people thought he wasn’t going to be able to do his job and slide underneath falling cabinets and run across fields.”
During his illness, Boseman continued to act, completing projects including Black Panther, 21 Bridges, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Marshall, and Da 5 Bloods.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.