Chadwick Boseman’s Widow Breaks Her Silence

Nearly five months after her husband’s shocking death, Chadwick Boseman’s widow Taylor Simone Ledward is speaking for the first time.

On Monday night, Taylor accepted the Gotham Awards Tribute prize on Chadwick’s behalf. During her tearful speech, she said, “He is the most honest person I'd ever met. 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," Ledward pointed out. "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."

Taylor emphasized, “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.”

Ledward also had a message for Chad, saying, “Chad, thank you. I love you. I am so proud of you. Keep shining your light on us.”

In October, Ledward filed a probate case requesting to be named administrator of his estate since he had left no will.

It is unclear when they actually tied the knot, but Page Six reported that they got engaged in October. News of their marriage went public after his death from colon cancer. A statement on his Instagram revealed he died at home, with his “wife and family by his side.”

They were first spotted together in 2015.

According to "The Real," Taylor now goes by Simone Ledward Boseman.