I’m still processing Chadwick Boseman’s death at just 43, as are countless other people around the world, and so many of his friends and co-workers. This really hit me hard. I will always remember hearing he passed, just as I will always remember when River Phoenix and Heath Ledger died. He died on Jackie Robinson day. We still have 42 and his other incredible movies and I’m going to include a list for where to stream them at the end of this post. He also has Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with Viola Davis coming out on Netflix later this year. Viola posted a message for Chadwick.
Chadwick…..no words to express my devastation of losing you. Your talent, your spirit, your heart, your authenticity……..It was an honor working beside you, getting to know you….Rest well prince…May flights of angels sing thee to thy heavenly rest. I love you! ššš pic.twitter.com/6abglPBOsh
— Viola Davis (@violadavis) August 29, 2020
Angela Bassett’s message was also very moving. She remembered when Chadwick was assigned to accompany her when he was just an undergraduate at Howard University. She ended up playing his mother on one of the top movies of all time.
There are so many other tributes and personal stories about Chadwick that it’s hard to know what to include. I wanted to share some of the nicer moments I’ve seen on Twitter which show his kindness, humility and sometimes a hint of the grueling health battle he was surely dealing with.
Chadwick Boseman getting emotional about trading letters with kids with terminal cancer who passed before they got to see Black Panther…knowing he was himself battling cancer when he said this. Jesus. pic.twitter.com/o6l6hUjanU
— David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) August 29, 2020
In 2018, Chadwick Boseman gave his MTV award to James Shaw Jr., the man who stopped a gunman at a Waffle House pic.twitter.com/QQrza1kMez
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 29, 2020
to think what was going through his mind during that pause, unfathomable. pic.twitter.com/CU0EgtYdcp
— Ana Maria Defillo (@adefillo) August 29, 2020
I interviewed Chadwick Boseman in 2017, and to think he was going through cancer while satisfying the physical demands of a Marvel movie…https://t.co/MAB1ZYdcGS pic.twitter.com/eLdear66IU
— Matt Jacobs (@tarantallegra) August 29, 2020
Chadwick was great on SNL, I remember seeing this episode! He was so funny and natural in interviews, he was a dear friend to his costars, and he was a hero and a deserving role model to so many kids. We never heard about bad word about him.
Never forget pic.twitter.com/Nmar5zQcGw
— michaelharriot (@michaelharriot) August 29, 2020
A video of Chadwick Boseman laughing and full of happinessš. pic.twitter.com/ZXJ55aJlmI
— TV Fanaticšāļø (@Khaleesi_Hodan) August 29, 2020
Representation changes lives. Your legacy will live on forever ā„ļø pic.twitter.com/lhLs3cIEbW
— Dani Fernandez (@msdanifernandez) August 29, 2020
The kids at Ron Clark Academy turning up because theyāre all going to see #BlackPanther is the best thing ever (IG: mrronclark) pic.twitter.com/4htaEOKsUC
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) February 2, 2018
People are watching Black Panther today in his honor. I think we’re watching at noon EST. You can stream it on Disney + along with his other Marvel movies.
Here’s where to watch his other movies.
42 (2013): Rent on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube
Get on Up (2014): Streaming on HBO Max, Rent on other services
Gods of Egypt (2016): Free with ads on Vudu and Peacock
Message from the King (2016): Netflix
Marshall (2017): Rent on Apple +, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube
21 Bridges (2019): Rent on Apple TV, Vudu, Direct TV, Fandango Now
Da 5 Bloods (2020): Netflix
Rest in Power Chadwick. We love you.
Photos credit: Avalon.red, WENN and Backgrid
Truly shocking and gut wrenching. May he rest in peace
Hits so so close to home. Last year my brother was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer as well and did chemo, radiation, and just finished his tumor removal surgery and is still on an ostomy bag for 5 weeks while he heals before they reattach his upper and lower intestines. And he is 33 (diagnosed at 32 and never even has so much as a cold, healthy active lifestyle etc).
Colon cancer is no joke and I urge everyone who has a family history of polyps or any cancers to get their colonoscopies earlier than you think you need it (normally 10 years before the discovery of cancer/polyps in a family member, but my brother would have been dead if he waited until 40 because screenings are typically done at 50). Your doctor can prescribe it as diagnostic rather than preventative so insurance should cover it. And the insurance companies really need to get their $hit together because the american cancer society recommends a colonoscopy at 45 yet most insurance will only cover at 50. I had mine at 38 and Im glad I did, and I will get one every 5 years due to family history.
RIP Chadwick. Very heartbreaking and scary.
I’m so sorry your brother is going through that. I wish him well in his recovery.
Wow sorry to hear about what happened voy your brother. Wish him all the best.
My mother’s side of the family has a history of colon cancer. My grandmother died in 1997 š and my aunt passed from the same cancer this year in Feb. š Your brother’s strong.
Iām sorry your brother is going through this so young. My father was diagnosed with colon cancer yesterday. This is hitting hard.
I’m really sorry, Char. I hope things work out the best for your dad.
you are absolutely right! my mom died less then a year after her colon cancer diagnosis… even after the full removal, chemo and radiation..
the cancer still spread to other organs so fast. we used to joke that the boobs got all the attention, but asses matter! miss her every day
Thanks for the list, Celebitchy. The good ones are taken from this world too quickly. Rest in Power, Chadwick
So devastating and sad. He’ll be deeply missed.
I follow him on twitter and saw the news almost as soon as it was out. I couldn’t believe it!
I was like it must be a mistake; yes in April of this year, he had lost a lot of weight and I really thought it was most likely preparing for a role…….never in my mind I thought he was battling a terrible disease
This man was incredible! May he rest in peace……..lots of courage to his family
P.S.: what a well guarded secret! this is what privacy means; you share your public life but people don’t need to know your private business; I am sure the production companies knew for the insurance but they respected him and kept it locked in……..this also shows so much courage! he filmed Black Panther while sick! I am in awe
Agree with everything you said!
I have been hoping for a sick joke. This is absolutely heartbreaking. Rest in power prince.
Just gut wrenching. Such a good decent man and an amazing actor. 2020 just will not let up, it is determined to kick us in the teeth daily. But this one, hit hard. His performances were amazing and he had 4 years of fighting cancer while acting on his grueling schedule? Just amazing.
The good die young while the bad live until they are 100…
I’ve seen several instances of this, sadly. My mother-in-law is one of the meanest people on the face of the earth and she’s about to turn 99.
I can think of one 74 year old….
INDEED. How he lives on while so many decent people die is a complete mystery.
I have a theory that evil people have long lives b/c they know they’re damned to eternal hell as soon as they die.
Where I come from we say “bad weed never dies”.
I am heartbroken. I have never cried for an actor I barely know except in movies. I’m a basket case right now. Rest with the angels Chadwick
Rest in Power, Chadwick Boseman.
Thanks for sharing these tributes.
I know you normally don’t post on Saturdays so I really appreciate you making this story and exception. He has redefined fortitude for a generation. I’m crying so much today
He was a lion. The body of work he left- a lot of it while he was so sick- it’s such a tragic loss. It is so sad to see someone struck down in the prime of life who had it all- intelligence, artistry, beauty. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
2020 has been a hard year. Rest in peace young brother!
This was truly stunning news to have received late on a Friday night. This year is just relentlessly sad and the passing of such a tremendous talent at such a young age is just unthinkable. May his memory be eternal.
Itās insane to think he was going through cancer treatment while filming movies that were as physically demanding as the MCU films. It also makes me so sad to know that in April he posted a video talking to fans and trying to make them feel better about the pandemic and people mocked him for his gaunt appearance. You truly never know what someone is going through so itās always best to be kind.
This is so incredibly sad. He was an exceptional talent and it looks like he was a lovely human being. RIP
This news actually made me cry. I can’t believe it
Me too. It’s too much, been crying on and off all day.
He always seemed to radiate such joy and warmth. From his interviews he was so humble, kind, charming, funny…ugh why always the good ones! I take comfort in knowing he’s not in pain anymore.
My thoughts are with his loved ones, I hope they find strength and peace.
May God bless them.
Rest in peace, Chadwick. š
This one cuts so deep. I donāt even know what to say. To lose another black icon, especially at a time like this, itās soul crushing.
To shoot 4 movies while undergoing surgeries and chemo is……thank you isnāt enough. Rest in Power Chadwick.
When Black Panther came out, I was teaching 2nd grade in Harlem, with an all-Black class. After the kids saw it, it was all Wakanda all the time. I had one boy who even wore his T’Challa PJs to school (against the rules, but of course no one had the heart to enforce that one). I hope that is seen as a huge part of Chadwich Boseman’s legacy. He gave Black kids a hero who looked like them and helped them take pride in their amazing, rich, badass African heritage. Rest in power and peace, King.
I’m thinking (among other reasons) he still took the role even though it was going to be tough, because that was the legacy he wanted to leave and he knew the movie would mean so much to his community. What a loss…the black community and his family are going through so much now and I weep with them.
I remember when he was on stage at comic con with the rest of the marvel actors such as brie and the Chrises etc i think it was when brie was first announced as captain marvel…
and everyone was super excited laughing and smiling and Chad was stone faced and everyone was wondering what was up with him? Why wasn’t he as excited and smiley as the rest of the cast? He later explained he felt something vibrate inside of him and wasn’t feeling well.
Looking back he was probably in pain and trying to put on a brave face….š¢
Rest in peace and power, chadwick š
This one really hurts. People are generally heartbroken because he was well known for being an exceptional actor and a kind and humble human being. Having many relatives die of cancer, this hits a little too close to home and I pray for his family and friends during this difficult time. R.I.P. Chadwick. Wakanda Forever!!
That SNL skit will go down in history as it should.
That minute of laughter helped.
This is so shocking. he was born the same year as me so it’s a double whammy. He was a nice, humble person. My condolences to his loved ones.
š„šŖthis one cuts deep. He was such a humble kind person. I pray he rests in peace and that his family has strength to pull through this.
@YAS yes it is heartbreaking to know now how he was trying to lift people up but idiots were mocking his weight loss not knowing he’s terminally ill.
That’s why people need to mind their business. If you cant say a nice thing just be quit. Be kind. Because you dont know what someone is going through
My breath stopped when I saw this.
Iām heartbroken. God truly takes the good ones early. Rest In Peace
Thanks for making me laugh through my tears. That SNL skit!
I know everyone’s going to binge watch his work – Marshall is a great performance, make sure you include that. The movie was a flop because of some weak direction but Chadwick is just great in it. He played the young, cool, charismatic Thurgood Marshall, not the staid mature Supreme Court judge.
Just finished watching. Wish I had done so before he passed so I could at least comment on his performance. Truly a sad day.
I don’t know how anyone could watch that video of Chadwick talking about those two little boys and not cry. This was a GOOD man…a very GOOD man. Why does God always take the good ones and let’s the bad ones live to be 100? It’s not fair. I’m so angry by this. I can’t imagine how his family is feeling.
Yeah that video just made me bawl. ahhh. This is so sad.
Yeah, I was doing mostly okay until I watched that video. Just heart wrenching.
Iām reading your post and sobbing and Kite by U2 just came on the radio. Look up the lyrics.
Iām too heartbroken to say much. His light and his legacy will live on in the children and culture he represented and influenced. Rest In Peace, king! #wakandaforever
Speaking of tributes, Josh Gad, his co-star on Marshall, posted one of the final texts he received from Chadwick.
Josh said he wanted to share some beauty. My God to know what he was living through and to write this text full of optimism, beauty, hope and appreciation for life. Rest in Power.
I just want to thank you. I couldn’t stop crying last night and began again today when I tried to go on Twitter. I won’t stay here either, my thoughts are too dark, but thank you for recognizing all of this. Just knowing there are people here including you who share the devastation makes me feel less alone and not so crazy.
I too remember the photos of him looking gaunt in April and people thought he was preparing for some film role.
What a legacy he leaves.
I’m technically not old enough to be his mom, but I’ve felt for years like a proud mom watching him shine, on and off screen.
Beyond sad..
#f%@#! Cancer
Heartbreaking; a gifted young man taken much too soon. Sincere condolences to his wife and family.
This,this,this is it.to live a life & make impact no matter how small.rest in Power Mr.Bosemanāš½
So incredibly sad. I gasped when I saw the news last night and almost couldn’t process it. My heart breaks for his loved ones, and for all of the children and others he inspired.
This is why Gastroenterologists want to lower the age of Colonoscopy from 50 to early 40’s. I had to have one done due to another surgery. Before the age of 50. And they found 2 large polyps that were pre-cancerous. And thankfully had them removed. Now I have to have one done every 3 years. So sorry for his family. He really kept it quiet and fought a brave fight. May he rest in peace now.
That happened to me, too, same age and everything. My dad and grandfather and other relatives had very dramatic surgeries but they had made it to past 70 when it happened to them. For some reason nobody knows, even people as young as late teens are now getting and dying from colon cancer. Black people have double the risk according to an article I saw this morning.
We need to pressure Congress to get the insurance companies on board with earlier screening. And fund research to find out why this is happening to young people. Also, we need to secure Healthcare funding for free or low cost cancer screening for underprivileged populations.
I still have severe and painful digestive issues due to autoimmune disease and won’t be able to resume full time work until I find a medication that keeps my worse symptoms under control. I can not imagine where this incredible man found the strength to do such a demanding grueling job in the public eye without giving away his hardships. I’m just astounded. I have to think he drew strength from knowing he was leaving an incredible legacy for the children who would get to live to see his work, especially Black Panther.
There were times in Black Panther where he did seem to be containing something. I mean I recognize that strained look from having it myself when taken unwell in public. But by and large he was the picture of vitality and strength. What a shocking loss.
That SNL skit was an instant classic. How he didn’t just crack up laughing is a testament to his skill.
I saw a picture of Chadwick Boseman and Jackie Robinson’s widow Rachel at the “42” movie premier. I hope he and Jackie are somewhere talking baseball and having a laugh.
Thank you for this post and those videos, Iām not on twitter so wouldnāt have seen any of those.
That one where heās talking about the children with terminal cancer. And where heās laughing and joking around with Danai Gurira. In floods, what a godawful thing that someone like that has gone so soon.
I also saw a a still from his Spike Lee movie, where the other characters are taking the knee for the dead character played by Chadwick, thatās so poignant and I started crying again. I donāt normally cry at a celebrityās death, I feel sad yes but this one – this one feels really bloody tragic and awful.
Ive cried so much today. Everytime i console myself that atleast hes no longer suffering and then im ok. Then i come back online and the tears start all over again. Its just been a heavy year emotionally. These deaths are so sudden and they are of most beloved people. This is the same year we lost Kobe, Kenny Rodgers, Naya and now Chadwick. Just like that.
I fell in love with his laugh. I was so obsessed with him. Im just grateful and thankful that we breathed the same air. Im grateful for the inspiration to do something with my life as we never know how long we have left, truly, truly, tomorrow is not promised, i need to chase my dreams. May I know not waste this please.
For Astrology believers, i think Saturn is innits native sign til 2023. As of Jan, 2020 if im not wrong. And Saturn apparently brings with it a lot of unwelcome and sometimes discomfort in our lives.
This is so shocking and sad. My heart goes out to his wife, who he recently married. To lose your husband while still a newlywed, it’s all just so heartbreaking.
Thank you for posting about Chadwick. Iāve enjoyed watching him and itās a great loss to lose such a talent at an early age. He will be so missed and my prayers and thoughts are with his family. Iāve been gutted since I heard the news. Keep crying off and on. It hits close to home because my family has a history of colon cancer and weāve lost several members to this disease. I encourage everyone to get screened.
Rest in power Chadwick.
āThe biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have timeā
I spent most of my day yesterday at the March on Washington and went to bed super early but feeling uplifted after an amazing experience. To wake up to this and be reminded in the harshest ways why Black Lives Matter is heartbreaking. Colon cancer, as other diseases, impacts Black people at a higher rate. BIPOC tend to work and smile through the pain and it hurts to know he was going through so much pain while giving the world so much joy. Thank you Chadwick for all that you gave and for inspiring a whole generation of Black and Brown children to see themselves as heroes and kings.
@Kari, thank you for attending the march. I was afraid that not many people would attend so I was very happy to see such a large crowd.
I’m so very, very sorry to hear this horrible news. He was a good man and a great actor. So sad.
This touch me a way that I cannot describe.
Such a loss. And he worked with St. Jude’s which is wonderful and near and dear to my heart. (Check them out.) I thank him and love him for that, condolences to his loved ones. Too young, good guy. LOVE.
So many lovely tributes to his life and to the work he has done. All of his friends and costars seem to have loved him dearly. It’s so weird to talk about him in the past tense. I don’t think anyone will ever forget him.
A truly one of a kind talent and profoundly good human being.
He will be missed.
Thank you so much Chadwick for all you did and accomplish in your short time here on earth. Your light is so very very bright that not even death can extinguish it.
Celebitchy thank you for working the weekend and a late night on the two posts to honor and mourn Chadwick Boseman. When I heard the news of his passing last night I came to this site to see if there was anything and I was grateful to see the first post and to mourn with others here. I couldn’t post last night because it was just such a shock and sorrow. It still is. I don’t think this will be a particularly articulate post.
I haven’t been this shocked since Carrie Fisher’s passing and Anton Yelchin’s tragic untimely death. I’m a bit of a sci-fi and action fan, so those actors were dear to me from their work in those genres and their deaths were such shock because they had so much yet to do that everyone was looking forward to. And so it is with Chadwick Boseman.
I must confess when I saw him look so thin and drawn awhile back, I feared he’d gotten into something bad like a crazy diet for a role or something else self destructive we often hear of in show business. It just never occurred to me a man could take on the work he did while battling advanced colon cancer. I’ve seen others battle this disease and it’s literally an all consuming battle. His will to create something special for his terminally ill fans and for the black community and all fans of a good hero seem almost as superhuman as his fictional powers. People are going to be in awe of and inspired by him for a long time to come.
My husband was also a fan of Chadwick from the Jackie Robinson story as well as Black Panther and we just can’t believe it.
As junior and senior avowed crazy cat ladies, my daughter and I used to exclaim “Kitty!” when T’Challa engaged full Panther mode. He was beautiful and perfect as T’Challa and will live in our hearts as such. And as himself, well it is so wonderful to see and hear he was such a class act off the screen, to his fans and his mentors and coworkers.
My heart goes out to the people who knew and loved him, especially his family.
I’d like to think he’s gotten to meet up again with the children who touched his heart and inspired him to work so hard on his legacy.
This young man was grace personified. Chadwick was an amazing actor. One of the greatest of his generation. I watched Get on Up the other day and was just amazed at how he became James Brown. The fact that he could play a character so convincingly when he was at least six inches taller that the actual man. There was a good article on The Daily Beast about how he prepared for the role and James Browns daughter speaks of watching him walk during the movie and how he absolutely nailed it. Of course, he knocked it out of the park with Black Panther and inspired a generation of young children. The fact that he was able to make movies while battling such a serious disease speaks to the type of person he was. He will be sadly missed.
He was FANTASTIC in that role. Sounded just like James Brown. The way he spoke, mannerisms everything.
Chadwick was very strong mentally because it would have taken him or anyone a LOT of willpower to carry on with their career, with such a life threatening disease like cancer. š
We all have to die someday & we don’t always get to choose when and how BUT life can really be unfair sometimes.
I’ve been crying on and off all day, will cry in my heart for the rest of this year over this loss. Watching him in 21 Bridges tonight. What a star. Such a great actor in every way — his voice work (every character he plays has a different timbre, accent, intonation), physicality, facial expressions, everything. Tremendously commanding presence and charisma. Handsome, yes, so handsome, but more than that — arresting. Can’t take your eyes off him, the camera loves loves loves him. He would have won an Oscar by his mid-50s guaranteed. You couldn’t look at him and not think “leading man.”
Rest in power, my king. Wakanda Forever.
I hate 2020. I hope something positive comes out of this if even one person is inspired to ask their doctor about colon cancer screening in the next few weeks and catches something early enough.
Finally feeling peaceful enough to read this article, it is a beautiful tribute.
Thank you.
So sad, he was a class act all around. And so young. The SNL clip made me smile.
Such a talented and charismatic man, what a loss
This is tearing me up so bad. He’s such a hero to me, even more so now.