Theres a Specific Reason Chadwick Boseman Never Revealed His Cancer Diagnosis
Highlights
- Chadwick Boseman, a talented actor and Howard University alumnus, left an indelible mark on the world through his movies, philanthropy, and family focus.
- His sudden death from colon cancer in August 2020 shocked fans who were unaware of his health struggles, causing confusion and public speculation.
- Boseman kept his diagnosis private, only sharing it with a few close confidants, to protect his legacy and ensure that his work and cultural impact remained the focus.
As a notable actor and an alumnus of the prestigious Howard University, Chadwick Boseman left his mark on the world in many significant ways. Whether it was his work in movies like Black Panther, Gods of Egypt, Da 5 Bloods, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and 42 (in which he played baseball legend Jackie Robinson) or his devotion to his family, religion, and philanthropy, he had a tremendous impact on many individuals that will forever be imprinted in their memories.
The world was shocked when they woke up to the news of Boseman's death in August 2020. With fans having no prior knowledge of the actor being in poor health, the announcement came as a huge surprise and caused a tremendous amount of public confusion. Why did Chadwick Boseman keep this information close and only inform a few chosen people?
Chadwick Boseman Passed Away From Colon Cancer In 2020
Boseman entertained many for a significant portion of his life, having his first role early on in the soap opera All My Children. Prior to his acting career, Boseman had an eye for the entertainment industry when he attended Howard University.
It was there he received a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, with a focus on directing. The star at the center of the iconic Marvel movie Black Panther suddenly passed away on August 28, 2020, at the age of 43.
Born in Anderson, South Carolina on November 29, 1976, Boseman left behind his wife, Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman, his parents, and two brothers. Distraught fans were left reeling after learning of his death.
Additionally, many report wondering what would happen in future Black Panther movies and what would be done to honor his incredible contribution to a hugely successful franchise, being that his role was so impactful to fans of all ages.
When Was Chadwick Boseman Diagnosed With Cancer?
There were only a few chosen people who were embedded in Chadwick Boseman's circle who knew of his struggle with colon cancer. Originally diagnosed as Stage 3 in 2016, the status changed to Stage 4 in the time preceding his death.
After receiving the news, Boseman made extra efforts to share his message through acting opportunities, choosing jobs that spoke to his passions.
Stories are told about the production of Black Panther and how Boseman refused to do the movie if he couldn't do an African accent. Additionally, he insisted that African dance was inserted into the waterfall scene.
While this caused some conflict at the time between the others on the set, Boseman only wanted to fulfill roles that brought light to the world and highlighted a culture that was often underrepresented.
Chadwick Boseman continued to work while undergoing chemotherapy and treatments for his disease. He often traveled with an entourage of people who were there to help him if he needed it, which was something his co-stars didn't understand at the time.
Chadwick Refused To Tell People He Was Dying Of Cancer For Four Years
Fans noticed that the star was reaching an unhealthy weight in the months leading up to his death. However, because of Boseman's desire to keep the information under wraps, it wasn't suspected that the weight loss was due to any health issues.
Boseman kept his health so private that even those who worked closely with him, such as the director of Black Panther Ryan Coogler, and Da 5 Bloods director Spike Lee, had no knowledge that anything was wrong.
However, his agent, Michael Greene, says that the primary reason that Boseman decided to keep the information quiet is because he didn't want it to take away from the legacy he was trying to create, especially when it came to bringing awareness to African culture.
Instead of divulging the information to the public, Boseman wanted to leave the world with memories tied to his personal work. Along with putting his all into these efforts, he made strides to take care of his community.
It's reported that Boseman turned down opportunities following the success of Black Panther because he couldn't imagine deviating from the role model position he had inherited.
Even before getting his cancer diagnosis Boseman felt the drive to fulfill acting roles that propelled the world in the right direction. In fact, he walked away from his first job on All My Children when they changed the script to reflect activities that Boseman didn't want to participate in as he felt they didn't offer much in the way of the person he wanted to portray.
However, once the diagnosis was received it appears that Boseman purposely kicked this up a notch to create a strong legacy while he could. Knowing he had a finite period of time left, he wanted to do everything he could to leave his mark on the world in all the right ways. With that, he decided not to reveal his health status in order to keep the focus on his work and not his personal life.
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